The Silver Prince
by Siavahda
Summary: RikuSora. The children of Destiny Islands have always been warned not to swim during autumn, or Mensis Nagini, Season of the Naga. When Riku, a Nagini Prince, is washed ashore, Sora learns exactly why they've been warned...NOT a oneshot! Realstory!
1. Why You Don't Swim In Autumn

**Hello again, everyone! **

**Ok, so I have yet another story up! I'd apologise, but I really wanted to write this. It's been stuck in my head for days, and I finally gave up and just WROTE it.**

**Pairing: Riku/Sora, hopefully others but nothing's promised yet. **

Summary: The children of Destiny Islands have always been told not to swim during the Autumn months - otherwise known as _Mensis Nagini_, the Month of the Naga - but they've never been told why. When a Naga Prince is washed ashore after a storm, Sora finds out _exactly_ why they've been warned...  
This is not a one-shot people - it's a true multi-chaptered story, and, while there will be porn and/or lemons there is actually a plot to this.

Warnings: Naga-Riku. I'm NOT including vore in this - assuming I'm right and vore is the term used to describe nagas eating people - but there _will_ be snake-sex. And male-preg, so if either of those things squicks you, please check out one of my other stories instead. Or you're perfectly welcome to run screaming for the hills and never come near me again. It's all good! 

**Warnings 2: This is not beta'd, people. So I apologise in advance for any mistakes I make/have made. If people would like to beta, be warned I will check out anything you've written/have already beta'd, though I'm happy for first-timers too. However, in advance - I don't need help with grammar and stuff. I use Word for that. I use my beta's to bounce ideas and plot-theories off, so if that's not your thing, please don't apply.**

**Credit where Credit is due: I freely admit that this story was inspired (in part) by the fic Naga Eyes on y!Gallery. However, while the next chapter will draw on it, the rest of the story is totally different, so I feel justified in shaping the next chapter to that fic somewhat. I would just like to thank the author of that fic (I don't know who you are, sorry) as well as any artists on Deviant who drew Naga-Riku. You all helped inspire me!**

**And now - enjoy!**

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Chapter One – Why You Don't Swim In Autumn

"Hey Sora! Come on in, the water's great!"

Sora eyed the lapping water nervously, chewing his lower lip. His friends were enthusiastically splashing and laughing together in the waves. Tidus was trying to convince Wakka to see who could stay underwater the longest, but when Selphie splashed the two of them with a huge wave, they abandoned their discussion to attack her.

Gleeful. Carefree. Happy.

But he couldn't get his mind off the rumours running like poison through the conversations of his parents – that, the night before, someone had discovered a thick strip of sparkling scales in a fishing net; silken snake-skin.

_Naga_.

The census of Destiny Islands listed four pretty small land-masses, varying between a tropical jungle-like environment and the tamed land that had been turned into towns and villages. There were people scattered across each of the four islands, and it was an easy ten or fifteen minutes trip by raft or rowing boat to get to another island. If you wanted to, you could even swim.

Just…not during the autumn.

Because that was when the waters weren't safe. That was when people stayed away from the ocean, stayed away from the deeper parts of the jungles.

In Destiny Islands, very few people called the third quarter of the year _autumn_. It was _Mensis Nagini_ – Season of the Naga.

Nagini, those creatures that were part-snake, part-Human, lived in the shadowed depths of the fifth island. Children sometimes found their scales on the beaches, especially after the winter storms – and the jewel-bright ovals were often mistaken for polished gems, they were so brightly coloured. Glittering gold, shining emerald, deep-sea sapphire; midnight-onyx, silken amethyst, crimson ruby.

Once, when Sora was very little, a Naga had been washed up on shore after a particularly viscous and lightning-drenched storm. He could remember it perfectly, as if the day had been preserved in crystal inside his mind – the creature with the face of a Human girl, eyes closed in drowned death, her hair long and ebon-black. If it had been dry, it would have flowed to her waist in waves of midnight silk; but as it was, it clung to her Human torso like skin-tight cloth, damp and wet. Someone had respectfully used it to cover her breasts – small and muscle-firm – and the black inkiness lead down to where her Human waist dissolved into a rainbow of iridescent greens. Jade, emerald, bottle-green, dragonfly-wing and the throat of a hummingbird, sea-green and teal, aquamarine and malachite and lime – her scales seemed to have been beaten from every imaginable shade of the colour, covering her thick, beautiful tail like glittering armour. If the girl part of her had looked around twelve years old, her tail itself was no shorter than five and a half feet, fully capable of crushing a man in its powerful coils.

He'd thought she was the most beautiful being he had ever seen, even at the tender age of seven.

As he grew older, that hadn't changed – even now, he compared all the girls he knew to the scale-clad form of a dead Naga girl from years ago – but _now_, that awe of exquisite, other-worldly beauty was tempered by a very real fear. As he'd grown older, he'd been privy to the stories not shared with seven-year-old children – the tales of fishermen washed up on the beach, crushed and mangled almost unrecognisably after fishing too close to the Nagini's island. Tales of kitten-curious boys and girls vanishing into the trees of that same island, never seen again. Tales of how, only a generation ago, Nagini would sometimes kidnap Humans, the snake-creatures daring into towns and villages to snatch them from their beds – not children, who might be understandably weak enough to be captured, but older teenagers and adults in their prime, those who should have been able to defend themselves.

Apparently not.

Sora's parents had grown up with the fear of the untameable, uncontrollable Nagini. They'd grown up seeing _their_ fathers and brothers trying, unsuccessfully, to wage war on the fifth island, trying to burn and destroy the snake-people's forests, trying to scare them into submission. They'd seen how it hadn't worked – the Nagini had vanished like shadows, unseeable, untrackable, invisible as they retaliated. The island closest to that of the Nagini had been evacuated after a mass-slaughter, sending a clear message to those Humans in power, those that were organising this war –

_Leave us alone, or face the consequences._

There had been no more attacks against the Nagini, and the snakes had left the Humans alone once more. Eventually, years later, people began to return to the fourth island, and they had never been troubled by the Nagini again. Indeed, once the people began to return, chests had been found on the beaches – old, padlocked treasure-trunks, like those pirates might keep in their coves – deliberately placed above the wave-line, where children and adults alike came across them.

And when the padlocks had been smashed, the lids lifted and the contents bared to the tropical sunlight –

Gold. Hundreds of coins, rich and golden as butter, unstamped but thick and heavy for it, as countless as a flock of butterflies with wings of sunbeams and golden stars.

And at the bottom, beneath the lifetime's worth of treasure –

A swathe of snake-skin, black as oil, as ink, as a strip of midnight cut from the night sky.

An apology, perhaps.

Since then, there had been an easy truce between the two Peoples; Human and Nagini. Islanders didn't wander the fifth, unnamed island, and, in return, the Nagini left them alone.

But the message – the warning – was polished-glass clear to Sora. Nagini were very, very dangerous – more so than anything dreamed up by spiteful teenagers for the campfire horror-stories; worse than the riptides and deadly currents that wound about the islands like a hangman's noose if you went too far out in the wrong direction.

"Guys, we're not supposed to be swimming!" Sora protested, knowing his words would go in one ear and out the other, but knowing he had to _try_. "What if – "

"Sora, there's no Nagini here!" Selphie laughed, squealing as Wakka splashed her again. "There's nothing to worry about!"

"Yeah, Sora!" Tidus agreed, diving briefly to escape Kairi's attack before resurfacing, spluttering water. "So why don't you come in with us?"

He shook his head, sighing internally. He'd known it wouldn't work, but he'd hoped… "I'll see you guys later then," he waved, turning to walk off the beach, ignoring his friend's calls to join them in the water.

Not only was it September – autumn by anyone's standards – but there had been a hell of a storm last night. A swimming Naga could have been washed up close by, too injured to swim back but still deadly if the little group came across it – or if it was hungry enough to try hunting Humans.

Boa constrictors ate huge animals – why couldn't a Naga eat a Human, if they wanted to?

He should really go straight back home and tell his parents what Kairi and the others were doing. He didn't know _why_ it was unsafe to swim during the autumn months – neither, when asked, did his friends – but it was serious enough that Tidus had been grounded for two months the last time he'd tried.

But if he did, they'd get into trouble. _Huge_ trouble – just the _thought_ of their children swimming during _Mensis Nagini_ was enough to send most parents into a panic. His friends would probably be locked up from now until Christmas – and they wouldn't be ecstatically happy to see the person responsible for their captivity when they were finally released.

Sighing, Sora headed north-west, making for the wilder parts of the island. He couldn't go swimming, and he didn't feel like tackling the homework waiting for him at home. He might as well go exploring through the trees. Perfectly safe, even if it was autumn. A Naga stranded on a beach somewhere, or in the shallows of the sea, too injured to swim, wouldn't be able to slither inland to get to the forests.

He was perfectly safe.

)0(

His skin was on fire – burning, melted glass running through his veins in place of blood, scorching, unbearable heat. Every brush of grass and air against his skin and scales was torture, unbelievable sensation shooting through him like a bullet to his brain.

Riku writhed, unable to _bear_ everything running through him. Sea-green eyes were hazed, glazed with all-consuming lust that darkened the colour of his irises as he panted, each twist of his tail heightening the sensitivity of his skin, until just a brush of a leaf against his scales elicited a moan, desperate and wanton as he pleaded with the universe for release. His cock had slipped from its hidden sheath with the rising of the sun, and it pulsed against his stomach, hard and throbbing as he tore at the ground with clawed fingers, wailing in agonised pleasure.

In the back of his mind, he understood why the older Nagini warriors had urged him to find a Bearer this year, warning him of the mindless state the mating season reduced Nagini males to.

"This year, you are old enough to slip into the lust-trance," they had told him, pointing to the slick path of armour-plate scales that lined from the centre of his waist straight down to the end of his tail, different to the silken scales that adorned the rest of his snake-half. They had slowly formed towards the beginning of the summer, and he'd been incredibly proud of them, the hard plates like polished silver against the rest of his star-white scales. "You will need someone, or else the lust may shatter your mind."

Heeding the warning, he'd agreed to pair with a beautiful, if somewhat shy, Naga girl from a good family. They'd gotten to know one another during the summer, and he was sure he liked her – her tail a gorgeous copper, softly burnished as if polished, and she was well-learned, which took some of the pressure off; it meant he didn't have to tip-toe around her ignorance, but could freely talk about his lessons with his tutors.

Her name was Lelia, and she'd agreed, smiling shyly, to go through the season with him.

If only he hadn't gotten cold feet…Fugitively speaking, of course. Because the fact was, while Lelia was pleasing to look upon, he held no attraction to her. He'd almost wished his armour-scales had arrived next year, or the year after, so that he had more time to find someone…find someone special.

So he'd gone for a swim. Just trying to clear his head by dunking it underwater in the moonlight, as he'd done a hundred times.

Only, that night, a storm had come up out of no where.

He'd been tossed and thrashed and twisted in the raging waves, thrown like a child's toy into the air, terrified – and, finally, he'd crashed into an underwater reef and blacked out.

He'd thought he'd be all right, when he woke to find himself on a golden-sanded beach. True, he wasn't on his own island – but it was still night, and he'd be able to get home in no time. His season probably wouldn't start for another week anyway – so he lay back and tried to get his breath back, checking for cuts or broken ribs.

Unharmed, and feeling lucky, he'd drifted off to sleep after making his way off the beach, not wanting to risk running into any of the deadly currents in the dark just as much as he wanted to avoid any late-night fishermen. He'd been sure he could make the trip back tomorrow.

Inexperienced, he didn't spot the warning signs his body was giving him, didn't realise his season was knocking at the door. The strange stiffness in his tail he put down to the night's abuse; the swollen, sensitive area around his sheath was probably irritation from the sand; and the strange heightening in his senses – not just tactile, but taste, smell and sound – was just a reaction to the adrenalin the storm had summoned in him.

He woke in agony.

Everything in him screamed for another, for him to encase another in his thick, white tail and impale them, hard, upon his cock; for him to plunge into tight, wet heat again and again, holding them bruising tight. He wanted to impregnate them, for his seed to catch and germinate and turn into life's most exquisite creation within the cocoon of their flesh; the very thought was enough to make him wail again as he writhed, his lips bleeding as he bit back a scream as a jolt of white-hot pleasure ran through him, bright as a sunbeam.

He _needed_…Oh gods, how he _needed_!

Suddenly, a scent snapped his head to the side, nostrils flaring as his eyes narrowed. Whiplash-like, he turned onto his front, moaning at the rough stimulation to his cock as it rubbed over the ground before he straightened, raising up on his tail until he stood a little under six feet off the ground.

Something warm. Blood under skin, beating through veins in a calm, unhurried rhythm; the faint sweetness of breath and the salty tang of sweat.

His whole body shuddered – harp-string anticipation, trembling ecstasy he just couldn't control.

He could hear them now, with his sharply-pointed ears. Light footsteps, the brush of cloth on cloth as clothed legs brushed against each other. The whisper of hair, the soft puff of breath from a fit body – his hands convulsed into fists as he imagined running his hands over sun-tanned skin – the crack and rustle of twigs and leaves as they walked through the forest.

It felt like he was boned with lightning. Like his flesh was still-cooling glass stretched over a frame of fire and thunder.

The first flash of colour through the trees, red and blue and dark, chocolate brown – and without thought, he struck, his tail whipping forward to curl in an instant around a Human form, dragging the creature towards him, ignoring the startled cry and the frantic struggling as he brought the Human to his chest.

The warmth was soothing, calming, and the desperate haze retreated a little from his mind even as trapped arms tried to beat against his tail. Wrapped in his coils, the creature he'd caught couldn't feel his arousal, but that apparently wasn't its cause for concern – it still tried to fight him, kicking out with sandaled feet and tossing its spiked head from side to side furiously.

Ignoring that, Riku buried his face in chocolate locks, inhaling deeply – and he groaned, the scent of cinnamon and sea-salt, honey and warm, heated _blood_ like a drug to his senses, the silk of the Human's hair brushing over his cheeks, his closed eyes.

This was _Paradise_...

"P-please let me go!" The creature stammered, and the scent of salt grew stronger – it was crying. "P-please!"

The words didn't register in the Naga's mind – the mind-set of his season didn't readily allow him to understand speech or language – but he sensed the emotions pouring from the Human's skin, could taste them on his snake-forked tongue; fear, panic, desperation and terror.

Wanting to soothe his soon-to-be lover, Riku leant down, his arms wrapping around the creature's lithe form, strong and protecting. He brushed his velvet-scaled lips over the Human's forehead, kissing the silken, sweat-licked hair line, the cinnamon-scented spikes, and, feeling the Human sob, trembling, he tenderly licked away the tears – the forked tip of his tongue laving at the shining trails marked on the Human's cheeks, following them to the sky-blue eyes and lapping at the tears clinging to dark, graceful eyelashes, carefully chasing each one.

Pulling back, he let the Human see a single diamond-tear clutched in the curl of his tongue, carefully cupped – the delicious salty taste was driving him _mad_ – before he flickered it into his mouth, letting the taste coat the inside of his mouth. His eyes fluttered closed, but he bit back his moan as he let his head fall forward, trying not to scare his Other.

He heard a sniffle, and he brushed his cheek against his Other's, nuzzling into the side of the chocolately hair.

"W-what…What are you going to do with me?"

The haze was starting to come back – the presence of warmth encased in his coils could only do so much, and he was starting to ache, starting to lose it again. But just before he went under, he heard his voice murmuring in a strangely un-pointed ear…

"I'm going to teach you how to fly…"

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**AN - next chapter - porn! Yay!**

**Please review, whether you enjoyed or not, but all flames will be deleted. I _did_ warn you, after all! However, constructive critism is welcomed. **


	2. Bearer

**Voila everyone; I have returned! I'm _so_ sorry it took so long - my friends and I are now agreed that our school must be burnt down. (Ok, not really, for all you people who suddenly gasped in horror, lol). I just had so much _work_ this week...)mutters( **

**But anyway, here's the lemon I promised! Sadly, it's not as, ahem, graphic as I'd origonally wanted, but I've been assured it's satsifactory. Please be noted that you have been warned - _this whole chapter is basically a sex scene of non/dub-con_, ok? The next chapter will contain a summary of what occured in this one, so feel free to ignore this chapter to wait for Three, kay?**

**Oh, that reminds me! Everyone, say hello to Lockea Stone! She's my new beta, and she totally ROCKS! Everybody say hi! )waves( lol...**

**I'd just like to say thankyou to everyone who reviewed - you guys rock!!! I've almsot had more reviews for ONE CHAPTER than I've had for Witch War! I cannot thank any of you enough, and I've tried my best to answer every signed review I got. **

**That being said...Enjoy!**

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Chapter Two – Bearer

Sora shuddered as the Naga's hot breath caressed the side of his face, his legs kicking out instinctively. It was like kicking stone – his toes ached in his sandals, and he winced, the pain in his feet almost distracting him from the coils that had started to turn, spinning slowly in a long, silver spiral, the arms around his waist letting go.

His head fell forward, eyes fluttering closed as he bit his lip hard.

The Naga's tail was hot, and he could feel the silken slide of it through his clothes, the coils moving, writhing, caressing as he was slowly spun around, until he faced back the way he'd come.

This – this wasn't, couldn't be happening. Had he tripped and hit his head; was he dreaming?

He gasped as the slimmer tip of tail slipped between his thighs, jerking in the Naga's grip. His fear spiked, the nausea of adrenalin like poison in his stomach, and again he started struggling, desperately trying to free himself, kicking and throwing himself from side to side. His breathing started to quicken as he panicked – unnamed instincts were ringing warning bells in his head, loud as the screaming sirens of a police car – and he heard the Naga's breath catch in response.

Strong, muscled arms curled around him again as the tail slinked lower, pinning his wrists to his sides but leaving the rest of his upper body free, and he froze as he felt the scrape of teeth on the back of his neck.

"Please don't fight," the silver-haired boy breathed, and Sora shuddered at the sensation, the words, hot and butterfly-light, imprinting on his skin like glowing brands. "I – I'm trying to be gentle, but it's harder when you're struggling…"

It sounded as if he were struggling not to snap, as if each word were a huge achievement for him, and in the back of his mind Sora wondered if speech was natural for Nagini. No one had ever mentioned the snake-People's language…

It ceased to be important as a long, velveteen tongue touched the back of his neck, circling the first vertebrae of his spine. Slick and wet and _hot_, and the warning flew right out of his head as he writhed, eyes flying wide open as he moaned, throwing his head back in a silent plea for _more_…No one had ever made him feel like this before, and as his eyes glazed over it was easy to forget exactly what was happening, so easy to only think of wet electricity, the sharp tips of the forked tongue that traced secret hieroglyphics over his skin, the steam-like breath and the whisper of star-splinter fangs, the spice of a threat that only brought it all higher.

He was barely able to notice clawed hands slowly moving up his sides, pushing his shirt up over the Naga's wrists as his attacker's entire mouth descended on his neck – a starburst of wet heat, the bruising pin-pricks of pain as pearly teeth bit down lightly, forked tongue laving away at the small hurt. Claws started to caress his chest, the sides of his ribs, playing and whispering over the sun-tanned skin –

And suddenly, the light curl of tail resting between his thighs moved higher, until all of Sora's slight weight was resting on the hard, stiff heat of diamond-white scales.

The brunet whimpered, not even realising the sound had come from his own mouth as he tried to feel more pressure, tried to rub himself like a cat against the Naga's tail…It felt so _warm_, so _good_…

It was as if something were bleeding out of the Naga's pores – some scent or perfume that was fogging his psyche, that let him forget who – what – was making him feel this way. A kind of madness drugging his mind…It was almost a release, in a way. It soothed his fears away, calmed him just as the Naga's soft hissing whispers did, the wordless murmurings into his ear as that, too, was licked and sucked and tasted, earlobe nipped and canal ravaged by the forked tongue, tenderly gentle and _oh-god_ hot-slick-wet, just…

The hands on his chest jerked, and he heard the loud, savage _rip_ of cloth tearing, his shirt coming apart like water between the daggers of the Naga's claws – and then it was skin-on-scale, rough-smooth-_hot_, scales rasping over his skin, his-back-his-chest, and his moan was answered by a louder, sibilant hissing one as he threw his head back, begging_pleading_ for something he couldn't name, and his mind was spinning and his vision was glazing over, his breath coming hard and fast, chafing his throat like sandpaper, and all he could think was _moremoremore_…

Being pinned, unable to move, sent everything spiraling oh-so-much higher, and he whimpered as he tried, unsuccessfully, to touch back – to run his hands over star-white scales, to feel the hard, muscled chest beneath his palms, gliding over the sweat-slicked skin. He wanted to run his fingers through the pearl-spun locks that flowed past the Naga's shoulders, wanted to arch and buck and taste – wanted _everything_, everything he could have, everything this being could give him, he _wanted it_, so badly.

He felt the Naga's hands running back down over his chest as he moaned, finger splayed to take in all of him at once…and then a hand slipping over the growing heat between his thighs, his hot hardness resting in the Naga's palm.

He cried out, bucking forward, desperate as he felt the gentle pressure, as he felt his cock palmed through his rolled-up trousers, the fingertips slowly caressing through the suddenly rough material, sliding up and down as easily as if they had all the time in the word…

The heat from the gleaming white tail was growing, just short of scorching, and every breath from the snake behind him was a desperate hiss. But it felt so…he didn't have the words for it, could barely think or breathe past his pulse beating like a drum in his ears, the spider-web of pleasure that crawled over his skin, entrapping him, caging him in a prison he no longer wanted freedom from…

Sora gasped, eyes still glazed as he felt his trousers torn open, slashed with the hand not palming him, and his still-pinned hands flexed and clenched, a spike of fear of those silver claws cutting through the haze as his boxers, too, fell to the ground in ragged ribbons. A few came to rest on those white scales, and the contrast of pure pearl and navy-black was eerily beautiful, stark and elegant for its simplicity; and for a moment Sora's eyes focused on it, on the white and dark cast against each other.

And then he froze, turned stiff and still as pure, undiluted panic overrode the hand at his cock and the rough-smooth sensation of scales against his skin.

A claw-tipped finger brushing over his naked entrance.

)0(

_Hot. Hot and slick and electric-sensation, cinnamon and the warm pulse of blood beaten by a frantic heart._

He couldn't stand it. He was trying to be gentle – trying to go slowly, trying to _think_, trying to get a grasp on the situation and take control: but it was just so gods-damn hard.

_Hot. Hot and soft and salt-scented-skin, golden honey and breath that comes too fast._

Riku made a hissing sound in the back of his throat, knowing his tongue flickered out over scaled lips but unable to stop himself, unable to think past the pounding in his head, the hard heat that flowed like lightning in his veins. Every cell, every microscopic little part of him was _screaming_, screaming and begging, demanding and ordering and _screaming_ to ravage the one in his arms, to impale and plunge into slick depths again and again, hard enough to make this other scream in unison with him, in sympathy for the almost-_pain_ that throbbed in his cock.

Without conscious thought – almost without thought at all – Riku circled the creature's entrance with a fingertip, just as he lightly squeezed down on the cock in his hand. The boy – of course it was a boy; he should have realised, but it's so hard to _think_ – gasped and jerked, thrusting forward with baby-rounded hips; and he wondered absently if maybe he should _care_ that this is a boy, and not a girl like Lelia. Wasn't there something important about the difference…?

But he's almost filled to the brim with throbbing heat, pulsing just beneath his skin, and he decides that no, he doesn't give a _damn_ about gender just now.

_Hot. Hot and hard and bite-back-moan, sky-tinted tears and his arms wrapped around another's body._

)0(

Sora bit back a whimper as the Naga's tail began to shift around him, coils sliding across his skin until he was only caught in a small knot of scales, a loop that pins his wrists to his sides and curves between his thighs. It rubs at the smooth skin behind his cock, and he bites his lip to keep back any sound, tears of panic gathering.

It's not so hazed anymore. He thinks he knows what's happening now.

A single arm circled his waist and tugged him back, suddenly; and he squeaked in shock as he slid up the tail, the scales turned into hardened plates beneath him –

But it was all forgotten as he was pressed against a muscled chest, the other arm joining its twin to keep him there.

A hard heat pressed against his lower back as he was crushed in the Naga's grip, and he cried out in shock, throwing himself forward – because he _knows_, he _knows_ and he's suddenly, utterly terrified. Boys aren't made that way, aren't made to take _that_, but this Naga doesn't seem to care as clawed fingers grip his hips with bruising strength, to lift him up as he struggles – trying to kick, yelling and crying as he felt the swollen head of the Naga's cock nudging against his entrance.

"No!" He cried, tears streaming down his face as he struggled for escape, scared of the threat of pain and the writhing of the Naga's tail, that twisted from side to side restlessly as Naga and Human fought. "Please – _don't_! _Please_!"

He was ignored.

He screamed as scale-clad hips thrust forwards, screamed as he was torn open in a way he was never meant to be. All-consuming pain raged through him, crashing through his weak little body like a tsunami as he sobbed, crying and twisting to get away. But he didn't have the strength – shaking, trembling as blood ran down his thighs and dripped onto white scales, he tried to stay still, quickly realising that movement of any kind only hurt.

But he couldn't stay silent – choked sobs tore from his lips as the Naga moaned and nuzzled his hair, brutally tearing him. Sora's blood trickled in ribbon-like rivulets over the Naga's tail, painting a ruby spider-web over pearl-white scales. And he couldn't stay still – he wailed as his rapist thrust upwards again, hips jerking, almost attacking as the blood gushed again, the slightest movements tugging more tears from sky-blue eyes.

"No no_ no!_" Sora cried, sobbing, his hands pinned to his own waist by silver claws. "No, please, no no no_, please! _Let me go, let me_ go, please please please!_"

The words lost their meanings for all the repeats, and his tongue stumbled over the shape of them after a while, but he couldn't stop, couldn't fight the desperation for this to all _end_! Blood and blood and blood, and it didn't stop, the harsh, agonizing thrusts and the gag-inducing moans from behind him, the warmth of the arms around him and the burning heat of the Naga's tail. The world and colours blurred with tears, and his throat was raw with pleading, with screaming and crying and begging for it to just _end_.

)0(

Riku moaned into the Human's hair, tightening his grip on the writhing boy as he thrust again, unable not to, unable to stop, to retreat from the indescribable, incomparable _heat_, the _tightness_ that sheathed him beyond-perfectly, and he must have been leaving bruises on the sun-kissed skin but he just couldn't _stop_. His lower tail cut from side to side uncontrollably, clearing a space of flowers and grass, a flattened arc around him as he sank upwards into that…oh gods, that _heat_!

There was…something _different_ about that warmth – something about it reaching farther than it should, as if it trailed out over his scales in slick ribbons. Like hot water, or blood…

Unable to think, Riku shifted his tail instinctively, bending it into a curve that rolled the boy's hips on him, that changed his position, raising him up –

And he heard his Human scream again, felt him buck in his grip – felt him buck _back_, back into Riku's touch and the cock impaling him, into the cage of scaled arms, and suddenly it was so much _better_ now that they weren't fighting, and even though he could still smell salt – tears and blood, blood and tears – it felt too good to have his Human moving with him, moaning and panting and writhing atop his cock, lithe hips rolling to meet every thrust; and he kissed the side of the boy's face, tongue tracing the sweat-slicked cheekbone before nuzzling, again, into that _sosftsoft_ hair…

)0(

He no longer understood what was happening.

Pleasure. Oh god, pleasure like he'd never imagined could exist, starfire filling up his veins like wine in water, like liquid light, pumping through every nerve ending he had to make him wail, make him thrash and writhe and sob with the suddenly desperate pleasure. There was pain too, but it was faint and shadowed now, and he couldn't have concentrated on it even if he'd wanted to – sunbursts behind his eyes filled the world with colour again, and it took all he had to try and grip the thick tail between his thighs with his legs, to buck back against each thrust and gulp in air and it was _so easy_ to forget about all the blood…

The Naga's tail caressed his returned erection with a vengeance, and he cried out, overwhelmed by the insistent, mind-melting pleasure from behind coupled with this new feeling from the front…He couldn't think, was struggling just to breathe and not pass out, and it was as if some huge pressure were gathering, a tight knot below his navel that wound tighter and tighter, tighter until his skin shook and trembled and each exhale was a moaning whimper. Each thrust was harder than the last now, and the world spun as the Naga used him harder, used him for release like a toy, demanding and desperate and harsh, and the pain was starting to come back, the focus returning to crystal clarity and then he could feel _everything_, each fresh gush of blood and the slide of scales against the skin of his thighs, the pinpricks of silver claws on his hips as he was roughly, manually slid up and down, the burning pain entwining with the burning pleasure until he couldn't tell which was which, couldn't tell what was good and what was bad and what he wanted. It was a knife-edge, deadly sharp and gleaming, and he was struggling to hold on and not to fall – trying not to lose his grip on reality, but – he – couldn't –

Sora screamed again as the world exploded – rainbow colours and fire-work pleasure and hot, slick white, and white scales and blue sky and bloodbloodblood and fire, fire inside him and blood inside him, a hot wave of pain pulsing from the Naga's cock and it _hurts_, it hurts but it feels _so good_, and in his sub-consciousness he feels a kind of _click, _a kind of connection, something green and gold and sea-green-blue and – and he – he –

Blacks out.

)0(

Riku spent himself in his new lover with a hissing cry, his hips thrusting uncontrollably as he came, gripping his Human's hip hard, blood trickling from his claws down his wrists, a morbid bracelet of henna as he fell to the ground; limp, panting, and utterly exhausted.

But utterly satisfied.

He felt the connection, felt the _click_ in the back of his mind. He felt his magik take; and he knows his season is over as he curls up asleep, thick tail winding around his little Human, spooning him protectively as he sighs in contentment.

"My Bearer…" He whispers, kissing the sweat-darkened hair…And then he's drifting into sleep, content and tired and utterly, utterly satisfied.

* * *

**AN: People, those last lines are probably the most important in this whole chapter. DO NOT FORGET THEM! )smiles sweetly( Please review and tell me what you thought!**


	3. Monster

Hey guys – I'm baaaaaaaack! And the first thing I want to say is – oh my gosh, thank you SO MUCH for all the lovely reviews! Hugs to everyone! Silver Prince has had more reviews for two chapters than either of my other KH mulit-chap fics. I love you all! And thank you muchly to Lockea Stone, my fabulous beta, without whom I would be so screwed!

Right, I promised **a summary of the last chapter for those who got squicked. Basically…Riku and Sora had sex. Non-con and quite graphic. Riku wasn't really aware of what was happening, since he was in his season and ergo not really sane.**

Oh, and before I start – Lockea wanted me to post this, so I will. I think she's explained it much better than I did.

**To the Anonymous reviewer, Why?!**

**From Lockea, Silver Prince's beta and technical expert.**

**You're right, non-con is never hot. When Sia and I discussed this chapter, I knew that she had no illusions about the nature of what would happen. We discussed the scene in depth from a psychological standpoint, and when Sia wrote the chapter, she came to me for advice on the issue of reactions. I've studied abnormal psychology, specifically Rape Trauma Syndrome, and I have worked with about four different victims, one of them in depth. Sometimes the victim does gain pleasure from the event- that's merely an animal instinct. As you will see with the development of the story, Sora did not receive enjoyment or a lasting fulfillment from the act (and as seen in this chapter, neither did Riku, who is equally a victim). We wanted to portray the scene as realistically as possible, we talked about questions like, "would Riku be aware enough to prepare Sora?" Or "How would Riku/Sora react in this situation?" We spent quite some time orchestrating the scene.**

**Sia did not write chapter two because she thought it was 'hot', it's a catalyst for the two characters, and while perhaps the graphic nature may have been unnecessary, no one can tell her that she is not allowed to write it, but if I believed she had written it for such a simple reason, I would not have endorsed it. As I mentioned before, I have worked with rape victims, and one, a fourteen year old girl whose traumatic experience reduced her to an autistic-like state, will forever haunt me as a symbol of the effect rape can have on any human being.**

**Sia, for herself being fourteen years old, is remarkably mature and well thought out. She considers action-reaction of every situation with that maturity, and has never once told me she was doing something in her story because it was 'hot.' Sia is a storyteller, and what a story she has to tell. I don't want to spoil her plot, but I hope that if you have any other problems, you won't hesitate to leave a message where we can contact you again. I respect, and even admire, your feelings. Thank you for your review, and for giving me, the beta, the sanity to know I was not the only one who didn't scream "OMG IT IS TEH SEXY." I, as is my nature, took the scene at more than face value, and remembered that it was a catalyst, that's why I advised Sia to put the warning in. **/end missive

Right, now that I feel all flustered and embarrassed, let's begin!

* * *

Chapter Three – Monster

Soft. Something soft and warm, the languid pulse of sleeping blood a lullaby.

Smiling, Riku curled, and he hears a soft snuffle of sleep as his tail winds around slim legs, his arm around another's chest…

His eyes shot open.

Now, unlike most Humans, Nagini tend not to instantly jump up and scream "What the fuck?!" when confronted with the results of a drunken night out (or, as in this case, an unexpected season-mating). It's much more logical to very slowly take in your surroundings and _think_ before risking waking someone you _really_ don't want to face just then.

As in this case.

However, Riku was only seventeen. And even if his armour scales had grown this year, by all rights he was still a teenager.

Which is why, upon waking to find himself curled around a Human boy, blood _everywhere_ and the other creature covered in bruises, he jumped up and shouted "What the _fuck?!_"

The boy – the _Human boy_! – flinched at the noise, and a small whimper tore from his mouth as he started to wake, eyelids blinking blearily. The rusty scent of blood hit Riku like a hammer as the brunet tried to get up, crying out as his wounds tore anew –

And, for the first time since either had woken, the Human saw him.

Riku didn't think, didn't _act_ – just _re_acted, throwing a hand up as panic leapt in his chest like an animal, almost _hurling_ his magik at the Human as he cried out "_Assshgar!_"

_Sleep._

Almost before fear could even begin to taint the perfect blue, the boy went limp, eyes falling closed again as he crumpled to the ground, lying sprawled like a cast-aside doll. Sparks of sea-green magik slithered over his skin like the tiniest of serpents, hissing too softly for a mortal to hear as they dissolved into his body, forming a glittering net beneath the skin that would keep their captive from awakening until the spell wore off.

The Naga could only stare for a moment, reaching up to run a clawed hand through his hair, instantly coming up against a knot of nest-like tangles. He swallowed nervously as he lowered his hand, eyes clouding in concern as he tried to think.

_Ok. Oh__—_kay_. Think logically. What happened? What__'__s the last thing I remember?_

He tried to focus, tried to clear his mind from the panic and the fear and the outright confusion as he thought back, rewinding time inside his head.

And gagged.

He fell to the ground as he lost his strength, only his arms keeping him from falling on his face as he threw up. Bile burned his throat and mouth as he heaved, fighting back tears as he wiped his mouth, unable to look up at the Human sleeping across the grass.

He hadn't. He _couldn__'__t_ have; he wasn't a…wasn't a _monster_, wasn't some barbaric freak of nature that deserved to be _crucified_ for what he'd done –

Oh gods.

He…He just couldn't have. He _couldn__'__t have_, damn it! His claws raked the ground, tearing up earth and dirt as he whipped his tail, angry, frustrated –

Terrified.

He wasn't a monster. He _wasn__'__t_.

_Something warm. Blood under skin, beating through veins in a calm, unhurried rhythm; the faint sweetness of breath and the salty tang of sweat._

But he could remember…Could remember the feeling of heated skin under his hands; the little gasps and whimpers he'd coaxed from a swollen mouth; the sensation of a body writhing on his tail, against his scales…

Remembered blood. Remembered someone screaming; someone pleading; and blood. The hot, tangy salt of it, the feel of it on his tail, the sight of it like melted carnelian against his white scales.

He remembered blood.

His breath started to rasp in his throat, his hands curling into fists as he closed his eyes against the tears struggling to stream down his face.

He remembered screaming.

Riku choked back a sob as he tried to move, tried to curl up or stretch out or _something_, tried to think of anything, anything else.

He remembered pleading.

Slowly, shaking with self-loathing and a repressed break-down, he lifted himself up again, trying to take deep breaths, trying to calm down; to clear his mind and think and find a way to sort this out. Shied away from the thought of _I did this_ and…and…

Blood.

It covered the Human's thighs like some kind of psychotic tattoo, mostly dried brown but a slick wash of crimson ringed his entrance, no doubt from when he woke earlier. Ribbon-like trickles had made it down his calves, circling his ankles before probably dripping onto the ground – branches of dried brown and fading red were spread like vines all over his lower body, leafed with bruises and cuts that looked like claw marks.

Riku backed up, coils shuddering over the ground as he stared, horrified, at the scene from a nightmare, even as golden sunlight touched the clearing with warmth – he was going to be sick again, was going to break down and scream and –

A thought formed, and working on auto-pilot, too stunned to think things through, he looked down at himself, spreading his arms.

And screamed.

Screamed and cried and tore at his arms, nails ripping his skin _apart_, raking his chest and his shoulders, his waist, everywhere he could reach – silver flashing, ripping, tearing, even raking over his scales and scattering the flattened pearls on the grass, and his blood ran, ran like a river all over him, slicking his hair as he raised his hands to his face, crying.

His blood ran, ran down like a net of unforgiving ruby to mingle with the cracking crust of dried brown that covered him from below his waist.

And it was enough.

Glowing garnet over dead brown…The sight soothed his pained eyes, a wave of calm sweeping through him, slowly, like honey, and his hands slowly stilled as he watched the two colours blend and swirl over each other, a dizzying, hypnotic pattern that let his breathing slow.

Not full payment. He could spend the rest of his life paying back the debt to the sky-eyed Human and he'd never clear it, but that was what he'd do. Try and try and try in every way he could, from now until his last breath.

And now the process was begun, he could be calm.

Avoiding the thick, writhing knot of nausea and self-loathing twisting in his stomach, he tried to think logically. Tried to figure out _what next_.

_Go for the basics_, he reminded himself, going over his training. _Who, what, when, where, why, and how?_

Who – forcing himself to confront the fact, he realised he'd have to do something with the Human. The boy couldn't just be _left_ here, even if he hadn't been covered in his own blood – he deserved an explanation, at the very least, of why this had happened to him.

And Riku wondered how on earth he could tell him it was _Because you were there_.

What – what did he have to do? Get back to his Island. And…and he'd probably have to bring the boy with him. The Nagini Healers could fix any…any damage far better than Human doctors, after all.

When – as soon as possible, really. He frowned, flicking his tail. Logical, logical…Was he in a fit state to swim? He'd have to carry the boy with him, but he didn't look all that heavy…

Glancing down, shielding his sight against all the blood, he realised he could probably swim back without too much trouble. He hadn't nicked any veins, and there was no deep-ache pain of bones exposed to the air – the salt water would sting like the seven hells, but he could do it.

What about the boy, though? He'd been in pain just sitting up_-_ had broken open the healing wounds to start bleeding again. Even asleep, Riku couldn't keep him statue-still – his body was going to get battered by waves as they swam, and it wasn't going to be pretty. Hells, it would probably make everything _worse_ – sea water wasn't _clean_, there was all kinds of chemicals and dirt in it from the Humans all around the world: and even if the ocean around the Islands _was_ much better than anywhere else, there was still natural bacteria in the water that could get into open cuts and turn them red and infected, painful and hot to touch.

_Riku_ could swim fine – but the Human boy couldn't.

So, skip where and why – he flinched a little, swallowing hard – to How.

How was he going to get them both back?

_Think, think, THINK!_ He told himself fiercely, tail thrashing, ignoring the pain in his cuts as he did so – _There has to be a way to do this!_

He was on a Human-inhabited Island, the furthest one from his home. A twenty minute swim. Cloud would probably be looking for him by now – he'd told his guards he was going for a half-hour swim. When they realised he wasn't in his room this morning, his brother would have the whole Island searching for him.

That was it! Cloud! If he could get a message to his brother, then the other Naga could come with Healers to make sure the Human was ok! They could Heal the boy so he'd be all right to swim!

How to get a message out…?

He clicked his fingers triumphantly. Namine. He just had to speak to Namine. The little Selkie would have no problem relaying a message to the Nagini for him.

But…He hesitated, glancing at the sprawled form of the Human. To get to Namine, he had to go to the ocean's edge – the shoreline. And that meant leaving the boy _here_, on his own.

He'd put wards up, he decided, moving forward over the ground until he stood a few feet away from the bloodied boy, trying not to actually look at him. He'd put up defensive spells to hide the Human from sight and protect against anything that might wish him harm.

He cast out his hand, tips stained with his own blood, and slowly drew a circle around the prone figure. Pupils narrowed into ebony slits as he focused, a glowing line of blue fire etched itself into the ground in the path of his hand, the words under his breath giving the magik a mould to fill in the real world.

He didn't stop until the flames reached all the way around in a seven-foot circle, hiding the blood as well as the sleeping Human. Blinking, Riku lowered his hand, feeling a little more tired – he'd cast the strongest wards he knew.

After everything that had happened to him, the poor creature didn't need anything more.

)0(

_Cool water. Light as air, silk-on-skin, clear blue light, green light, waving fronds of sea weed and branches of coral combing the waters. _

_Fish like jewels scattered in a pool, child__'__s hand tossing gems, in-the-air in-the-water, sparkling-sparkling-_shiny_-pretty. Seashells, smooth curls and whorled spirals, fans and spires and unicorn-horn pearl rods, twirling between webbed fingers. Pretty pretty _pretty

A sun-patterned seal-tail flicks, and the blonde-haired girl dives, smile bright as the waters around her as sea flowers brush against her cheeks. Her fingertips stretch down the little hole – the _pretty_ is a pink-and-white sea-shell, smooth and beautifully coloured, and she wants it for her collection but she can't quite reach…

A sound. A liquid, curling note through the waters, and her head turns, instantly serious.

The scent of blood in water – a single, sparkling drop, rich in power.

"_Wind and rain, _

_Sea and sky,_

_Hear me now,_

_Hear my cry!_

_Blood to blood _

_I call to thee __–_

_Creatures of magik,_

_Summoned to me!__"_

Her tail flicks, propelling her upwards as she cocks her head. Sunlight falls down through the waters onto her skin, patterning her like a leopard in silver and glimmering shadow-blue as she waits for the next verse to the Summons. It's too far away for her to scent the blood – she can _feel_ the magik in it, but not the details: the People, the individual…

But it might be Riku. If he's any sense, it's Riku.

"_Ocean__'__s children, never-now to fade,_

_Keepers of the waves and singers of the sea __–_

_Seal-skinned Selkies, I call for aid,_

_Seal-skinned Selkies, to me, to me!__"_

She smiles as she dives _upwards_, arms out in front of her like an arrow as she slices through the water to the surface, leaping up into the air, spiralling in a front-flip as she whoops, punching the air before she plunges back beneath the waves, and she only takes a second to get her breath before she's off again, all thoughts of _pretties_ forgotten.

Because if Riku's well enough to perform a Summoning, then he's fine, he's ok, and all she has to do is follow the electric pulse just beneath her skin that's tugging at her like a gentle magnet to find her friend.

)0(

Riku let his voice fade away on the winds, pulling a little back from the waves lapping at his blood-stained tail absently, barely noticing the red swirls threading off into the water.

He'd thought about just Summoning any of the Nagini that might be looking for him, but just a thirty-second thought had cut that idea to shreds. He'd have every Naga in the waters on him in minutes, panicking for his safety – and that would threaten their own. Selkies were viewed as good luck to the fishermen on Destiny Islands – he knew Namine and her friends liked to lead them to great shoals of fish every full moon, inspiring yet more folk-stories they all enjoyed listening to – but that many Nagini would only inspire panic. If enough of the Humans got together quickly, there might even be a slaughter.

No, Summoning the Selkies – and, with any luck, Namine – would be safer. He was sure they wouldn't mind telling Cloud he was safe, and asking him for help. His older brother would only bring a handful of Nagini – and with them, a _Healer_.

His mind shied away from just why the poor Human in the clearing needed a Healer so badly.

Realising he still had his hand stretched out, cut with a claw to let fall a drop of fresh blood into the water, he let it fall. As if he'd never seen it before, he stared at it blankly, turning it over and over in front of him.

His hand, that could feed and create and channel his magik…And rend, destroy, pull down struggling hips without thought for the blood.

How could he be so different? Made up of two such conflicting parts? Nagini Prince…And monster.

Suddenly, his eyes caught a glint of gold in the water, and he looked up, a little startled.

A pair of gleaming violet eyes smiled at him curiously, blond hair spreading around the sun-tanned face as if a pool of liquid sunlight, and he stared back, fighting back a smile at the innocent curiosity.

He turned his head again as another pool appeared in the water: a darker gold, closer to polished bronze, and the eyes were dark like secret shadows along the ocean's floor.

Another – hazel hair, streaked with green that may or may not have been seaweeds – and then the next was Namine, his friend pausing only to smile at him before tugging at the shadowed-silver silk clinging to her lower half – the skin that could be pulled further on to cover her completely, transforming his blond friend into a sea-creature of her choice and size. Seals were common, but he'd seen Namine as a dolphin once or twice, and he knew there were Selkies that enjoyed spending time as sharks – it didn't matter, really.

Completely unabashed of her nakedness – something that meant nothing to the surrounding Selkies and Naga – Namine climbed out of the water, trailing silver in her left hand as she cocked her head, staring at the silver-scaled Naga before her for a moment.

And then she laughed, dropping her skin onto the sand as she flung her arms around her friend, wet gold hair plastering to her face and Riku's shoulders as they brushed cheeks in the traditional greeting between inter-race friends.

When she pulled back, still smiling, her eyes flickered up and down, taking in the Naga's appearance – and though Riku stiffened, he said nothing as Namine's piercing gaze rested on the last traces of blood not washed off as he stood in the waves.

But she met his eyes again, and in them was none of the disgust and judgement he'd feared would flood her blue gaze – only clear calm, a current of understanding and the boundless curiosity her People were known for.

And friendship. Namine silently offered her friendship for the storms ahead, and, with a smile so grateful he thought he might break, Riku took it just as he took her hand.

)0(

"How will we find him?"

Soft, clear amusement. _'__We will lead you, Majesty.__'_

Cloud nodded, and bowing at the waist in thanks for the Selkie's help, he turned to his soldiers and started shouting orders. All his mind-numbing panic and fear were much happier to be channelled into actually _doing_ something, instead of waiting at home while Leon tried to calm him back down. Nagini of all colours moved quickly to gather together what was needed – someone left to fetch the court Healer, another three to summon the guard that would be necessary for leaving the Island.

Seeing everything was finally _moving_, Cloud tried to calm the knots in his stomach as he got down on his belly beside the pool. A still stream of water was cut into the floor of the palace, running through every room via comfortable arches set into the walls. It allowed the Nagini to travel at far greater speeds through the bungalow-castle if the need arose – and it also provided easy entry way for Namine's Selkie messengers, the pair of girls with laughing eyes that had simply swum up from where the stream ran up from the ocean.

"Thank you," he told them clearly. Namine was the only Selkie the Nagini knew who was comfortable speaking out loud – just as she was one of the few who was truly comfortable in an all-out Human shape – but even if the rest preferred telepathy as a means of communication, they didn't seem to mind that it wasn't a Nagini racial-power, perfectly happy for _him_ to speak out loud to _them_. "The Nagini won't forget the Selkie's help in this."

'_We obey the desires of our Pearl,__'_ the one on the right told him, though both smiled – indulgently, it seemed, as if they were the older ones. Neither of them looked more than twelve years old. _'__Though we thank you for your thanks, it is not necessary.__'_

'_We will wait at the shore,__'_ the other thought at him, quietly. _'__Your stone walls make us uncomfortable, but we will wait faithfully for you and your men, and lead you to your little brother.__'_

'_Silver Prince,__'_they sang together, and before he could question their words they dived, seeming to curl into identical commas in the water before disappearing down the stream.

As he climbed to his full height, he thought he caught a glimpse of a pair of dolphins vanishing under the water, but he wasn't really sure.

"Come on, men! Move move move! We're leaving in ten, and if there's anyone missing then we're leaving without them!"

)0(

"This way, your Majesty…"

Namine paused at the entrance to the trees, pointing the way ahead. Nodding thanks, Cloud ducked a low branch and followed the direction she gave him as she waited for all his men to leave the water.

Frightened by the spears strapped to the Naga's backs, her shoal had mostly vanished, retreating further out into the water, and she smiled reassuringly at them. A few of the younger ones waved back shyly, more entranced with the spectacle.

It always made her laugh how curious her People were. Even her – but long-time exposure to the Nagini had acclimatised her to them.

Her eyes, sharp from needing to pierce the murky waters closer to the ocean's floor, scanned from side to side of the beach before she ducked into the trees, the ferns brushing against her naked waist as she ran ahead, getting to the front of the loose 'v' to lead Cloud to his brother.

Neira and Taliquoa had led the Nagini in a round-about route, just as she'd asked them to – more a precaution than anything else. Even if they'd circled around what were usually popular beaches for the Humans, no one on the Islands was out so close to the water during Mensis Nagini. Really, she thought, pushing aside a springy branch, Riku was lucky Cloud hadn't started his season yet, but the Nagini King's cycle didn't start for another few days. It was a mark of how much Cloud cared for his little brother that he would bear the intense discomfort, even pain, that came with so much exertion this close to his season. Riku wouldn't be in much discomfort this time – his armour-scales, the hard silver plates running down his underbelly, were new and still a little soft. The more they hardened, each year, the stiffer they would become when the season came around – as indicated by the sweat beading Cloud's golden spikes.

She heard a handful of the soldiers gasp as she lead them into the clearing, and Riku's head shot up from where he lay on the ground, tail curled in a loose knot under him. He sat very close to the little Human – not touching, but Namine guessed her friend had been staring sadly at the boy when she left him to bring his brother. Riku had taken the wards down, she noticed – to be expected, really – and the Healer wasted no time in smoothly curling down next to the blood-stained creature, making no comment as he pulled a few rich green leaves from his shark-skin pouch – waterproof for the journey in the water.

She crossed the beaten earth to sit down next to Riku, and her heart broke to see the tears in his eyes as she took his hand again. She glanced up at Cloud, but the King was already crossing to his little brother, face unreadable.

)0(

The four teenagers stared at the water, hearts pounding as they tried to calm down.

Kairi couldn't believe it – she was still trying to accept what they'd seen in the water.

After Sora left, they kept on with their games. Not surprisingly, Tidus and Wakka were winning the dunking, so the girls had been trying to create a new game, that wouldn't involve the sensations of _drowning_ when Selphie shrieked, pointing.

Deep, rich green, a thick, flowing pillar scaled with gems.

They'd been out of the water in seconds, scrambling and splashing, terror beating through all-too-mortal veins as they huddled together on the shore, too scared for the water but too shaking-ly-amazed to climb further up the beach.

Naga. They'd just seen a _Naga_.

In fact, as they watched, Tidus recounted in a shock-awed voice the different colours he could see – and then all four of them could spot the creatures, thick bands of green, of black; rusty red and sapphire, bronze, midnight-violet, spread out in the water. It was harder to make out the Human upper bodies, but the scales flashed in the light – the Nagini were swimming very shallowly, not bothering to hide.

Because there wasn't meant to be anyone on the shore, Wakka realised, speaking aloud.

It was very tempting to just go home, but Kairi couldn't help worrying about Sora. Their friend had disappeared off in the direction the Nagini were swimming in, and she said as much.

"We have to find Sora!"

"Are you crazy?" Tidus asked her, eyes wide. "No way! Sora went for a walk, anyway, not a _swim_! Why's he in danger?"

"Why are you scared?" Kairi retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "If there's nothing to be scared of, why are you _afraid_?"

"I'm not _scared_!" The blond declared, raising his chin.

The red-head raised an eyebrow.

"I think she's right," Selphie said quietly, glancing at her friend, who smiled gratefully. "Imagine if something _did_ happen to Sora! It would be our fault, because we didn't warn him!"

"They're right, yah," Wakaa agreed, nodding. "We should go find him!"

"Fine." Tidus said angrily, leaving them behind as he walked quickly up the beach. "We're going _this_ way!"

The others exchanged pointed glances, but followed him without a word.

)0(

Riku forced himself to meet Cloud's steely gaze, trying not to break Namine's fingers as he held her hand, suddenly tense. From the corner of his eye, he saw the soldiers spread out around the near-perfect circle of the clearing, a just-in-case precaution that conveniently took them out of earshot.

"Cloud…I…"

His brother hugged him.

Riku froze, stunned, as he felt his older brother's arms come up around him, holding him tight. "Don't you _ever_ do that again, you hear me?" He pulled back, hands still on Riku's shoulders – and the silver-scaled Naga was horrified to see tears glimmering in deep blue eyes. "Do you have any idea how scared I was? No one knew where you were!"

He pulled Riku close again, resting his head on his little brother's shoulder – and, hesitantly, Riku let his own arms circle his brother.

"I was so scared," Cloud breathed, his grip so tight it was as if he'd never let go. As if he wanted to keep Riku close and safe, forever and ever. "I thought…"

"I'm fine," Riku whispered back, guilt lying heavy and sick in his stomach. Guilt for the Human, guilt that he'd made Cloud worry… "I'm fine, ok?"

He pulled back, letting Cloud see him grin. "Why are we whispering?"

For a moment, Cloud only stared at him, and for a split instant Riku saw past the walls his brother always had risen around him – saw the scared, trembling Naga only barely an adult. Saw the boy too young to be King, too young and too weak to carry the weight of a People on his shoulders. Saw the soul too vulnerable to let anyone see it.

And then he laughed. Laughed, smiling and golden, tail hammered sunlight to Riku's pearl and silver, and Riku thought he must have imagined it.

)0(

All the while, trying to give them some privacy for all her closeness, Namine was watching the Naga Healer work on the Human, intrigued as she was by almost everything seen for the first time. There was very little that could harm a Selkie for long – drawing their Healing powers from the sea itself, most wounds healed within a few hours, a handful of days at most – and so she'd never seen a magikal Healing before.

But the sapphire-scaled Naga didn't begin with spells, as disappointing as that was. The man chewed the leaves he'd taken from his pouch, two or three mixing with his saliva as he ran gentle, light hands over the Human's body, carefully turning him onto his side. Sharp eyes took in the bruises, the claw marks, and though some part of Namine – the part that didn't connect these injuries with _Riku_, but just saw the hurt and pain this creature must have gone through – was horrified by all the blood, but the Healer scanned it calmly, seeing what was old and what fresh, gauging the extent of the injuries not by the _amount_ of blood, but with logic.

Taking the pulpy mess from his mouth, holding it carefully between the fingers of his left hand, the ebon-haired Healer trailed his right down the boy's spine, a light frown etched between his brows as his fingers delicately delved between the cheeks of the Human's buttocks to feel the tearing to the entrance.

Almost instantly, the man looked up, shocked, at Riku – and Namine cocked her head. Her friend hadn't actually told her what had happened, saying only that he needed her help, that he'd hurt a Human and couldn't leave him; could she get a message to Cloud?

She'd agreed, and hadn't pressed him. That's what friends were for, after all.

It had crossed her mind that Riku had fallen into his season, had taken this Human – but a season ended after half a moon cycle of mating, or until the magiks in two Nagini met and mingled; connected to begin a pregnancy.

Humans didn't have magik. Thus they couldn't become pregnant by a Naga – so if Riku _had _started his season, he wouldn't have been in any condition to cast a Summoning, never mind hold a conversation with her. It had to be something else.

The Healer seemed to bite his tongue as he realised his King and Prince were having a private moment, and he returned to his patient. The globe of leaves was transferred to his right hand, and then carefully pressed between the Human's buttocks.

Namine cocked her head as the Naga seemed to work the paste into the tearing, like a salve or cream, before removing his hand – without the leaves. Only then did his hands begin to glow as he passed them over injured skin – soft green light, that dissolved into bruised and cut skin to fade the angry violet or close the gaping red mouths. The Selkie watched, entranced at the magik that fixed the broken doll even as she watched. The blood didn't fade, but the poor Human looked in a much better condition than he had been.

And then – once more – the Healer stopped, his hands together over the boy's stomach.

The light changed colour, became shining gold as the Healer passed his hands over the Human's navel once more – and then, light beginning to pulse, again.

The hands fell, and the Naga looked…

Completely stunned. Shocked.

Namine frowned. What was wrong?

)0(

"My Lords?"

Riku looked up from his brother – and his smile abruptly dissolved like sugar in water, the momentary sense of laughter and brotherly comradeship whisking away as if on a wind.

With everything whirling about in his head, he honestly couldn't remember the Healer's name – but the sapphire-scaled Naga didn't look happy. Not angry, but stunned, as if someone had torn away the earth from beneath his tail, the sky from above his head, and left him alone to deal with the reality of existence.

And he couldn't take his eyes from the King's younger brother.

"Yes?" Cloud asked calmly – and then he brightened. "Oh, is the Healing completed?"

The Healer hesitated. "Yes, your Majesty, but – "

"Good. Then if someone could perform the memory-wipe, we can get back to the island as soon as possible." Riku stiffened as Cloud's arm wrapped around his shoulders. "I don't want to be here any longer than we have to. We follow procedure, and then we leave. Understood?"

_Procedure_. Riku thought he was going to be sick. The rules set down for hundreds of years to protect their People. Sometimes, for whatever reason, a Human got hurt – a witness to a fight, an accident, or…

_Or just someone who was there; at the wrong place, at the wrong time._

You Healed their wounds. You wiped their memories. And you never saw them again. That was how things went: and even if Cloud didn't know exactly what had happened, he would implement the pre-set order of things and coax it out of Riku later. When he was willing to talk about it.

Because…Because it couldn't have been his season. He wouldn't be sane, be logical and sentient and able to hold a whispered conversation with his big brother if he'd slipped into his season. The only way he _could_ have been was if his magik had mingled and triggered a pregnancy; and that just wasn't possible, because Humans didn't have magik. So it had to be something else –

Wait.

His eyes snapped wide: his chest felt ribbed in iron as his breath turned solid in his throat.

No. No, no, no.

_Please, dear gods, not this. _

"Riku?" Cloud was looking at him, and Riku could barely make him out – the world had hazed, like a fog had slid down over his eyes when he wasn't paying attention – as if everything had gone mad, the colours melting together in a dizzy whirlpool of sensation, and it felt as if his skin couldn't hold him anymore.

"Riku, are you all right?"

_No. No, no, no. _

_Not a monster. Monster __–__ no. Yes. No. No, no, no, please gods no. _

_Not this. I__'__m not a monster. Can__'__t be. Not possible. _

_Has to be._

"Cloud," he whispered, eyes blank, and he couldn't see the panic in his brother's gaze because his own sea-green iris' looked past the real world, swirling with thoughts and ideas and concepts that contradicted each other, and his mind was like a maze. "Cloud, I've done a really bad thing."

And, almost without realising, he started to cry.

)0(

"Tell me again why we're doing this?"

"Because Sora's our friend, you jack-ass!"

Kairi tried to tone out her friends' bickering as she pushed aside another low-lying branch, trying to follow the path. It obviously wasn't well-used – while they spotted one of Sora's footprints every now and then, there were few others, and with their limited tracking skills they guessed the other prints were pretty old – and there was plenty of plant-life that had taken advantage of the Human's absence to grow wild across the beaten track.

They'd been looking for Sora for maybe half an hour – planning to swim, none of them had brought watches – and the most sign they'd seen was a handful of footprints. Too scared to separate, they'd all stuck together, driven by Kairi and Selphie's determination to find their friend.

_At least we__'__re going the right way_, she thought, eyes finding another print from Sora's sandals. _How far did he go?_

"Kairi!"

The red-head turned to look over her shoulder, frowning when she saw a shell-shocked Selphie. The blond girl had her hands clutching at both boys, pulling them backwards as she, herself, took a step away from where Kairi had just been about to push aside a veil of cover.

"What?" She hissed back, automatically lowering her voice to Selphie's volume. "What's wrong?"

Her friend gulped. "Can't you hear that?"

Exchanging confused glances with Wakka, Kairi closed her eyes, straining to hear whatever Selphie was talking about.

Rustling leaves, wind, and the faint, rhythmic sigh of the seashore…

And someone crying.

Instinctively, Kairi whirled. "Sora!"

"Kairi, wait!" Selphie hissed, letting go of her friend's hands as Tidus tugged his hand out of her grip. "Remember the Nagini!"

"We have to be careful, yah?" Wakka added, keeping his voice just above a whisper.

She was about to agree – and then Tidus snorted, striding forward confidently. "You know, I really don't know what you're all so worried about," he said loudly, ignoring the other's whispered pleas to be quiet, the fearful glances into the surrounding trees. "Nagini don't leave the water. They don't actually enter the islands."

He breezed past Kairi, his hand tugging at the thick layer of tangled vines and ferny brambles.

"So, for the last time, there won't be any 'round here," he told them, a touch of arrogance seeping into his tone. "You don't need to be _scared_."

And then they found themselves face-to-face with the sharp end of a spear and the fearsome-looking Naga behind it.

Tidus screamed. Shrieked like a girl, turned tail, and _ran_ – only an instant ahead of the others.

)0(

All heads turned towards the sound, sharp ears catching and holding the noise within themselves.

Cloud's eyes narrowed; but, torn between the intruders and his sobbing brother, he didn't move, clutching Riku close to his chest as he nodded towards the trees.

"Drive them away, but don't leave the forest," he ordered quietly.

Just because one Human had had his life destroyed, didn't mean any more had to be drawn into the maelstrom.

As one, the closest four Nagini turned and vanished like shadows into the forest, scales flashing in the leopard-print light and shadow from the roof of leaves above: and Cloud softly rocked his little brother, his arms around the silver-scaled's shoulders as Riku cried and cried.

And listened as the Healer spoke softly beside him, the two of them keeping their gaze on the ground as one related, one absorbed the earth-shattering revelations.

He glanced to where the little Human lay in the dirt, unmarked with the poisonous shadow of bruises but sprawled and limp as a cast-aside doll, unwanted and unloved, and felt his own eyes start to tear.

_Welcome to the family, little one,_ he thought, fighting back his need to break into tears – for Riku, for the Human, for the tiny spark of life they'd created together, even now pulling itself together from their mingled magik within the warm, safe cocoon of the Human's body.

_I__'__m so sorry._

"Come on Riku," he said softly, pulling his brother up with him as he climbed to his full height, but unable to push the silver-haired away from where he was buried in Cloud's chest. "Let's get the two of you home."

* * *

**AN Well? Did it work? Did it not? Please review and let me know!**


	4. Apology

To everyone: I apologise for all the misconceptions about this story

To everyone: I'm very sorry for leaving this fic without an update for so long. In fact, I'm sorry for leaving _all_ of my fanfictions for so long. Life got complicated, my email account almost _died_ and I _might_ have become addicted to roleplays. winces

Anyway, the exams are finally over, and I intend to spend my entire summer holidays working on all my stories.

The only thing I would ask is if anyone would be interested in helping me. It's been so long that I have no idea if I used to have a beta for this, or if she's gone and left me for leaving her so long without an update. If that's the case, I apologise profusely, especially to Lockea Stone, my Silver Prince beta whom I completely adored. But still; if anyone's interested, could they please send me a note, or a review on this chapter? Thank you.

Siavahda

p.s I'm adding this note to all my current fanfictions, but it will be deleted from each story as I add new chapters.


	5. Revelations

Well... It has been an incredibly long time since I posted to this site. Someone lately told me (a very dedicated reviewer) that it has been three years. _Three. Years_. In no uncertain terms, I am ashamed of myself. That's not a joke; seriously. I can't believe it's been so long! What have I been doing with my time?

Well, as you can see, I'm not dead! Surely cause for celebration? I suppose, as it does, real life got in the way. I fell in love, have gone through my GCSEs and just finished my AS exams; my mom committed suicide, and my family has been back-and-forthing between Britain and the US. More to the point, I have finished my first book and am in the middle of the second in my planned trilogy, something I am very, very proud of and which has, unfortunately, taken lots of time away from fanfiction.

Obviously.

I had a page of this chapter written for about two years, but it never came to me fully. Until, as it does, tonight the whole thing wrote itself. There are, however, heavy influences from my wonderful beta, Lockea Stone with whom I am out of contact now. This is completely my own fault but if, Lockea, you are still reading this - this chapter is for you (you will see how your amazing ideas and inspiration stayed with me and formed the core of this chapter if you ever read it). It is also for every single one of you who reviewed and sent me messages encouraging me and pleading for the next chapter; for everyone who loved and still loves this fanfic. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I sincerly hope it is not so long before I update again!

To you all - ♥

* * *

Chapter Four – Revelations

"Has Riku been in to see him yet?"

"Yes, your Majesty. He was here an hour ago – stayed for a while, in fact, but he left a short time ago…"

The voices are soft, quiet, giving the air the feeling of a sickroom at once, and Sora frowns in the twilight place between dreams and sleep as he turned in the bed, his naked legs entwining with silken sheets. He shivered at the feeling, and, on his stomach, he shifted his arms to pillow his head.

His eyes shot wide open as they jerked up short.

Instantly, he tried to rear up onto his knees, flying into a panic as he found he could barely move – the soft velvet cords binding his wrists and ankles hadn't been long to begin with, but as he'd slept he must have tangled them up because now they only gave a few inches and they're velvet they're soft but shitshitshit he _remembers_, and there's people moving and machines bleeping, lights flashing on crystal screens and _shit_, there's _wires_ in him, glowing threads connecting his stomach, his navel his temples to chunks of multi-coloured gemstone, and people are talking, voices are thrown across the room in a medical flurry – that stone-hard calmness that's worse than any panic – and there's hands on his back, pressing him down, pinning his thrashing legs, his arms, a cold grip on the back of his neck, and he's not sure if the terrified cries he can hear tearing the air apart are coming from him or not.

"Heart rate fluctuating, one hundred fifty and rising – "

"Stroke volume increasing, the kid's pumped up on adrenaline, someone get a suppressant –!"

"Blood sugar levels rising, _far_ too fast, charge up the lazuli and we can – "

Hands, hands everywhere, touching-touching-_touching_, and he can't fight them off, and he's trying not to scream but he can't stop the tears, the desperate cries that would be heart-breaking if he heard them from anyone else, and it's hard to breathe, it's hard to think, it's hard to do anything but fight as hard as he can, straining against the bonds on his wrists, his ankles and the careless touch of claws on his back.

"What's going on? What are you doing to him?"

"Riku, he's fine, just panicking, he woke up and we weren't ready for him, that's – "

His fingers clutched at the pillow so tightly they turned bone-white, but when he catches a glimpse of bright silver in the corner of his eye there's nothing that can stop his screams, and the ropes might be velvet but his wrists tear and bleed as he wrenches away, and someone curses in a sudden hiss that turns his pupils into narrow slits in panic, blood trickling in slow droplets down his wrists, carnelian beads that roll down his fingers onto the pillow, and he can't stop _screaming_.

_Silversilversilver_

"Get him out of here!" Someone shouts, as grips shift to pin him down once more, ignoring his thrashing, frenzied and desperate because _silversilversilver_, he knows that colour he _remembers_ that colour, and someone's yelling and someone's crying, and then there's a flash of lazuli-blue light behind his open eyes and everything goes black as he falls, limp, onto the mattress.

)0(

They're halfway back to the town before they realise there's no one following them.

Kairi instantly spins on her heel, pink foam sandal skidding sand, and it's only Selphie's hand like a shackle around her wrist that stops her from pelting straight back into the trees.

"Selph, let me go!" She wrenches her hand, but the blonde doesn't let go – pale and petrified, if anything she only holds on tighter. "They've got Sora, I know they do! We can't just _leave him!_"

"But what else can we do?" She asks, very, very quietly, and Kairi can't believe what she's hearing. "We can't get him back from _Nagini_, Kairi! We – we're only kids!"

"She's right, yah," Wakka spoke up, just as quietly – and Kairi knows they both feel ashamed of their terror, and even the red-head herself can't believe, just _can't believe_ how fast she ran, how far she pushed her limits in mindless terror –

But Sora's their friend. Sora's _her _friend, god-damn it!

_And those are full-grown, warrior-trained Nagini_, a nameless voice pointed out. _You can't handle them all on your own._

And that's the key, isn't it? _On your own_.

She chews her lip meditatively, body relaxing as she thought, and Selphie and Wakka exchange confused glances at the frown etched between her brows. None of them give a thought to Tidus – the other boy ran so hard and so fast there's no doubt he made it home all right, and at the mental mention of him Kairi feels a flare of anger. He'd better not show his face around her for a while – not if he wants to keep it arranged as it is.

Focusing with difficulty, Kairi returned her thoughts to the book in her grandmother's old chest. She'd been seven since she saw it last – and back then, she'd thought it was all fairy-tales…

What if they were true?

"Come on, guys," she said suddenly, walking quickly back towards the cluster of houses over the next rise. "I think I might know where we can get help."

)0(

"Riku? Are you okay?"

Hurriedly, Riku brushed the back of his hand over his eyes as Yuffie flung herself down beside him, her chocolate brown eyes bright and shining. Her head was cocked, reminding him of a small bird.

"What's wrong?"

So she hadn't heard yet.

Rather than answer her right away, Riku looked out over the ocean. Despite their long tails, considered ungainly by some, Nagini were very agile and graceful as a race, with a sense of balance to rival a cat's. More than that, their tails were boned with thousands of tiny joints, allowing for unrivalled flexibility. Riku's white tail dangled over the ledge of the balcony, unencumbered by any kind of protective barrier. It was little different from a Human sitting down and swinging their legs back and forth, really – though instead of swinging, the tip of Riku's tail kept curling and uncurling in gleaming spirals.

"Yuffie, are there Sylphs who ever…" He searched for a polite way of putting it, and gave up. "_You know_…with Humans?"

"Humans?" Yuffie asked, confused. "Um…No, not really." The sky-stones on her bracelets glittered and sparkled in the light of the evening sun – soft rose and aquamarine and amber. "I mean, it's possible. But…" She wrinkled her nose. "They're _Human_, Riku! No magik!" She raised her hand so the sky-stones flashed again, pointedly. The power in them shone. "It would be bestiality anyway, wouldn't it?"

Riku flinched, his shoulders hunching more defensively. Because that was what they all thought. Oh, no one would say it. Not to a Prince. But he could see it in the eyes of everyone he knew, and he knew they were all thinking it. Humans were magikless animals, talking apes that could barely be called sentient.

And now he was Bonded to one.

"I'm Bonded to a Human," he said aloud, trying out the words.

"WHAT?"

Damn. For a moment, he'd forgotten she was there.

"I-I…"

Yuffie placed her hand over her mouth, wide-eyed. "Oh my goddess. Is that why the chamberlain passed out in the entrance hall?"

He winced. So she'd heard about _that_. "Yeah." The court chamberlain, Kretor, had been in full flattery-mode, thanking the seven Nagini deities for Riku's safe return, when he had noticed the small, fragile body in the Prince's arms.

_It was wrong to hold him…Wrong, wrong, wrong. Monster. But the boy had been Healed, the blood washed away, and someone had found a swathe of silk to wrap him in. A sky blue that didn't do justice to his eyes. _

_And Riku wanted to hold him. Protect him, keep him safe. Even if the boy's biggest danger was Riku himself. _

"_Your Highness…What is _that_?"_

_Riku tightened his hold, the end of his white tail flicking with nervous protectiveness. Kretor's blank eyes, as if he truly couldn't compute what was in Riku's arms – something that Riku had felt just hours ago, but no longer had any sympathy for. A film of red over his vision, turning his own confusion and doubt and horror and, and _everything _into protective, possessive coolness._

"_My Bearer," he answered coldly, all royal manners and proud bearing, daring any of them to contradict him. _

"I didn't think he would faint!" Riku finished, avoiding Yuffie's face with the end of the story. "I don't even know what came over me. I just. Hated the way Kretor looked at him. Like he was nothing."

Yuffie was silent a moment, and Riku kept his eyes down, gaze fixed on the thick jungle that covered most of the Nagini kingdom. The palace was about four miles from the ocean, and from up here on the third floor it was perfectly visible. The setting sun seemed to be melting into the water as it touched the horizon, flooding the sea with gold.

"Are you really sure?" The Sylph girl said finally. "I mean…Riku, I know how your pregnancies work." They both rolled their eyes at that. When Sephiroth had died, the other courts – Salamander, Merai, Wolven, Elf, Kitsune, Djinn, Basilisk; in short, all the great courts of Otherworld – had reopened fostering negotiations. It was traditional for most nobleborn children to spend at least a little time with another magical race, but no one had been willing to send their children to be with Sephiroth. Riku couldn't blame them. However, when Yuffie had arrived, the court Healer had taken both her and Riku aside and given them a strict lecture on Nagini and Sylph sexuality, the crux of which was that, while it was perfectly possible for the two races to breed, it generally proved fatal for the Sylph involved since, with their delicate frames and thin bones, they were broken too easily in the 'throes of serpentine passion' – a phrase Riku never wanted to hear again as long as he lived. More to the point, however, a Sylph female who did survive the sex to become pregnant generally died when she was unable to fly, hampered by the too-heavy baby inside her. Sylphs didn't eat food or water but took sustenance directly from the pure air close to the sun. "A Naga's magik carries the code of their DNA, which merges with another Naga's magik. Whichever partner's magik takes the receptive role is the partner who carries the eggs, right? And from then on, neither magik will accept another, and you can only have children with that one person. But Humans don't have magik. How could this Human boy be pregnant?"

Riku sighed. "Apparently, they _do_ have magik. But because they never use it – I don't think most of _them_ know they have it! – no one knows about it anymore. It's in the really, really old books – someone checked when we got back today…"

Yuffie frowned. "I guess they're not animals after all," she mused. She frowned. "Wow. This is going to shock _everyone_, isn't it?"

Riku stared out at the sea miserably. "Yes," he agreed quietly. But he wasn't really thinking about Them – his brother's court, his people, the other races still living in Otherworld.

He was trying not to imagine how badly shattered would be that blue-eyed boy when he woke up to all this. Trying, at the same time, not to forget his reaction when Riku had gone to check on him – nothing but fear and panic.

Would it be hatred, when he was allowed to wake up properly?

_It's not as if he has any reason not to hate me,_ Riku thought. He still couldn't quite believe what he'd done. Still couldn't understand all the ramifications of it. Was it better, that the poor boy was pregnant? It had stopped Riku's season. If Riku hadn't woken up from the all-consuming lust, maybe the Human would have broken just like a Sylph.

He felt sick.

_I don't even know his name._ That seemed so wrong. _He's carrying our…_ Riku couldn't even think the word, but a kind of hesitant warmth coiled through him as his mind's eye tentatively formed a picture of a newborn Naga child. One child? Naga could lay up to four eggs at a time, though it wasn't very common. And accidents or injuries could prevent Naga from being able to carry more than one at a time – like Riku's mother…

He shook the thought away, returning to the delicate, fragile image of a serpentine baby. It was so unreal. So delicate – the iridescent scales were softer than skin the first few years, terrifyingly fragile those first few months after hatching. The tiny fingers, reaching up to play with Riku's hair…

Did creating a new life make up for destroying another? And – he chilled as it suddenly occurred to him that his Bearer might not survive the pregnancy, never mind the birth. Had there ever been anything like this before? Would a Human's magik be enough to sustain the lifeforces of host and child? What if it wasn't? What if one of them died? Or both?

"Riku?" Yuffie asked, seeing his stricken expression. "What's wrong? Besides the obvious," she corrected herself hurriedly, realising how ridiculous the question had been.

"Well," she said determinedly when he had explained, getting to her feet, "we'll just have to go do our own research, won't we? Come on." She jerked her chin for him to follow and, startled by her almost bossy attitude, he got up and did so. "You said there were books about Human magik. We can start with those…"

)0(

"Kairi, this is a wild goose chase!"

"Shut up, Tidus!" The red-head snapped, whirling on him. "You think hiding in your mom's basement is really going to help anything?" That, of course, was where they'd found him – after his scream-and-run act, leaving Sora to his fate. "Besides, it's all true." She turned back to the cardboard box she'd been searching through, ignoring the doubtful glances exchanged behind her back.

"Um Kairi…Witches don't exist," Selphie pointed out hesitantly. Her yellow dress was smudged with the dust of Kairi's attic, and her hair was all wispy from catching on the cobwebs in the corners.

"You'll believe in Nagini, but not witches?" Kairi demanded. "Anyway, it's _true_. My gran was a witch. She used to tell me stories about how all the women in my family were witches too, who could talk to the Great Courts and ask for favours from them."

"When you said you had a plan to get Sora back, I thought you meant _an actual plan_," Tidus muttered, unenthusiastically poking through another box. "Not some fairytales from a senile old bag."

"Don't talk about my gran that way!"

"What are the Courts, Kairi?" Wakka asked hurriedly, obviously seeking to prevent an outburst of violence.

Slightly mollified, Kairi returned to searching for The Book. "Well, my gran, she used to say that the Nagini weren't the only magical race, right? But all the others live in a place called Otherworld, so we don't really know about them. Anyway, each race has a royal family, and a royal court. That's what the Great Courts are – the courts of all the magical races."

"What other races?" Selphie asked, looking frightened. "There's – _more _than just the Nagini?"

"Aren't they bad enough?" Tidus agreed.

"There's lots," Kairi explained, leaning back on her heels so she could count on her fingers. "The Nagini, obviously, and the Wolven, who are kind of like werewolves, and the Merai, the Elves, the Djinni, Vampires, the Fey, Kitsune, Sylphs, Salamanders –" She shrugged. "Hundreds and hundreds, my gran said."

"So why don't the Nagini live with all the rest?" Tidus demanded. "Wouldn't that be better for everyone? They wouldn't have to put up with us, and we wouldn't have to deal with them!"

Kairi shot him a death-glare, though she could empathise. _Please, please let Sora be okay,_ she prayed silently. "Because – okay, most of the magical races get on really well, right? They're not allowed go to war with each other because they'd destroy everything with their magik. But this one race, the Garuda, _really_ don't like the Nagini. I don't know why – I think it was one of those things, like in Romeo and Juliet. No one can remember the real reason, just that it's tradition to hate each other, you know? Anyway. So the Garuda hated the Nagini, and wanted to destroy them, and because they have four children at a time there were loads more of them than there were Nagini. So the Nagini left Otherworld, because otherwise they would have all been killed."

"That does make sense," Wakka agreed, quietly shifting through the contents of yet another box.

"I found it!" Selphie declared suddenly. "Is this it, Kairi? Is it?"

They all ran to her, gathering around the object she held with both hands. It was a large, thick book, bound in something red and silky, with what looked like a flame picked out in gold thread on the cover.

"It's thicker than my arm," Tidus said in reluctant awe.

"And _way_ older," Kairi said happily, taking it from Selphie. She sat down on the floor, crossing her legs under her and ignoring the dust. "This is it. My gran's book!"

She opened the heavy cover. The book was big enough to touch both her knees when it was open, and the pages were thicker than normal paper too. But it was all written in English – even if the handwriting was unbelievably tiny, she could make it out if she squinted.

"This," she declared, pointing to a diagram of a circle surrounded by esoteric symbols, "is the spell that will let us summon someone from the royal Salamander bloodline."

"Why them?" Wakka asked curiously. "Isn't it rude to summon a, a prince or something? What if he's busy?"

Kairi considered this. It was a fairly valid point. Would whoever they summoned be angry with them? What if being summoned was painful?

"My gran told me that if I ever needed really big help, it was them I should call," she said quietly. "I don't know why – she wouldn't tell me – but I trust her." She looked up at the rest of them defiantly. "Don't you?"

They had all known her grandmother. She had baked them cookies and told the scariest stories at the New Year bonfire every year until the year she died.

They agreed, and with varying amounts of reluctance, fear, and expectation, cleared a space to begin drawing the circle in the dust.

)0(

"Here!" Yuffie declared triumphantly, plunging her finger onto the page to illustrate exactly what she'd found. "Right here! There so totally _have_ been Naga/Human pairings before!"

"What?" Riku dropped the scroll he was looking at; over nine hundred years old and priceless, and he didn't even glance at it as he threw himself to Yuffie's side, emerald eyes scanning the pages she had in front of her. "Where?"

"Here," she said again, tapping with her fingernail. "Look; '_and their friendship, born in secret, grew into a love to span their two Peoples, and in the fullness of time the Naga Tetrenor wed the Human Lolita, and they had many children together_.' See? Nothing about the Human dying or any of the hatchlings being sickly! They loved each other; it all worked out!"

"Yuffie, this was over a thousand years ago," Riku pointed out.

"So?" She shrugged it off. "That doesn't matter! This right here proves that its happened before. There's no reason it can't again."

"I don't suppose it says anything about how Tetrenor convinced everyone to accept it?" Riku asked without much hope.

"Um…"

The Naga sighed. "Still, it's more than we had a few hours ago," Yuffie said encouragingly. "You know he won't die now, and that the baby will be healthy. That's good, isn't it?"

Despite everything, Riku's pale face cracked into a small smile. "Yes," he agreed quietly. His eyes were still on the names of that other pair, so long ago, who had loved and prospered. "That's very good."

)0(

Night was falling outside by the time Kairi and the others were ready.

They had drawn the circle in the dust, with their fingertips and then with old paintbrushes. It had taken so long to get it right, drawing the wide bands of symbols and sigils around the circle and intertwining with it, all of it meaningless to them. Then candles; those had to be stolen from a cupboard in the kitchen, with Selphie distracting Kairi's mom while the others stole the waxy tapers and a box of matches. They were all white, and Kairi placed them in their proper places while Wakka followed with a match.

They went over and over the words before Kairi felt confident enough to begin. She was the one to cast the actual spell, of course. None of the _others_ had grandmothers who had told them they were secretly witches. The words only meant anything in Kairi's mouth.

She held the book out in front of her and started to chant quietly, words of rhythm and rhyme that called on the angels of fire. _Angels of fire_. It made her think of glorious golden people with wings of flame, flying against a sunset sky; and the image combined with the words, weaving into a throbbing sense of pressure, as if the air were growing tighter and tighter.

Suddenly, the flames flared up towards the ceiling, so high that Kairi panicked that this was going to burn the house down; but they didn't. The firelight turned blue, and then with a hissing pop, bright, emerald green, and from the light and the shadow a figure started to form.

)0(

"Can I see him?" Riku asked softly, looking past the doorway to the Human boy sleeping on the bed.

The Naga nodded. "He won't wake until the morning," the Healer warned.

Riku smiled a little. "Probably for the best," he whispered.

There was nothing to say to that, so the sapphire-scaled Naga left the room, giving the Prince and his Bearer some privacy.

For a moment or two, Riku watched the boy breathe, deep and peaceful in his sleep. Covered in the blue blankets, he looked like an angel – it was hard to believe that he was really Human. He looked like something magical, with his cinnamon hair and sun-gold skin. Riku hadn't had much of a look, but he knew that beneath the sleeping lids you could see the sky.

_I wish I knew your name,_ he thought regretfully.

He and Yuffie had spent hours searching through the books and scrolls of the royal library, but they hadn't turned up much more than that first revelation. And yet, a little of Riku's fears had been assuaged. Whatever else happened, he hadn't damned the boy to a horrible, painful death.

It wasn't enough to redeem him, but it was something. A little. A start.

Hesitantly, he reached out to touch the boy's hand where it lay on the blanket. He didn't dare take it in his own – he had no right – but his fingertips traced the tendons and smooth, strong bones of the boy's hand in an almost unconscious gesture.

The boy sighed in his sleep, a soft little _whuffle_ that made Riku's heart ache. He was so fragile, so breakable. So painfully young and defenceless, so far away from home. And whatever happened when the Human woke, he was Riku's responsibility. Cloud had been gentle with him, but his older brother had been firm.

_A Prince is absolved of nothing, Riku. I know this was a mistake, but you changed that boy's life and you are responsible. Just because he's Human doesn't make the Law invalid. He is just as much protected by it as you are._

_He's carrying your son or daughter. _

Riku watched the Human's sleeping face. _Yes_, he thought. _Yes, he is. _He hoisted himself up onto the bed carefully, his stomach fluttering at the level of his daring as he slithered into place, his gleaming scales whispering against the soft fabric. Was this wrong? Or right? _He's not mine. Not until he wants to be – if he _ever_ wants to be. _He lay down beside his Bearer – not touching, but the long length of his tail curled in a loop to encircle the boy's body completely, outlining him against the bed.

_But I'll protect you anyway_, he promised silently, propped on one elbow. His hand reached out to touch the silky spikes of the Human's hair. So soft. _From everything. From me. My responsibility; my duty. I'll keep you and our baby safe. _

_I swear it._

)0(

Kairi held her breath as the shadows and green firelight began to come together into a humanoid figure. The darkness from the attic corners condensed into slim, lithe legs hugged by what looked like dark blue denim and black leather boots; his shirt was casual, soft cotton dyed a deep sea-green. The body was skinny, lank and lean; the skin pale as ivory; the face angular and sharp; a long mane of hair, red as blood, as fire, tumbled down his back; and two sparks from the green candle-flames leapt into his eyes, to burn like heavenly emeralds.

"Alright, alright, I'm here," he rolled his eyes as Kairi stammered over the welcoming words written in the book. "No need for any more mumbo-jumbo, yeah?" He tossed that shimmering fall of hair, ignoring Selphie, Tidus and Wakka to stare directly at Kairi. It was as if he couldn't see anyone else; his arms crossed over his chest with a casual air, but his gaze was fixed on her intently.

"What's your name, witchling?" He asked, green eyes glowing softly in his pale face. Was that normal? "Not many witches know the summoning spells anymore. _Certainly _not the circles to summon a royal."

Kairi stared at the black diamonds tattooed under his eyes, like geometric tears. "U-um." Was this a real Salamander? The spell had worked? She was a witch, for real? She wasn't sure, in her deepest heart of hearts, that she had really expected all this to work. "Kairi." But it had – he was here – they could rescue Sora!

She only barely kept herself from asking him for his help at once. But that wasn't how things were done, she remembered. Grandmother had been very specific.

"_Even with the Salamanders, Kairi, always be polite. Make sure they know your name. Once they know who you are, they'll always help you."_

"_Why, gran?"_

_But the old woman had just shaken her head, the same way she always had._

"No, no - your family name," the Salamander elaborated. "What's your _family _name?"

Kairi told him, and was gratified to see his eyes widen. Her gran had been right about this as well!

"Well, well, well." Once he got over the shock – and he seemed to get over it very quickly – the Salamander's eyes sparkled with mirth. "It's about time we met, little cousin. We've been wondering about you for _ages_."


	6. Bloodlines

This chapter came to me very quickly, and threw the plotline into a bit of a new direction by the end of it. I'm sure you can figure out what it is, and for all you Axel/Roxas shippers - well, it's my OTP too, but this time it's not what the muses wanted to do.

Anyway.

This is a little bit of an interlude - completely Kairi-centric, so I hope no one minds. This chapter is dedicated to **chibi heishi**, for the review that really made my day. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Five – Bloodlines

Kairi kept staring as if, maybe, if she just waited long enough, the words would eventually make sense all on their own.

"Um. You're her _cousin_?" Wakka asked finally, glancing back and forth between the two red-heads. Her friends' expressions mirrored hers exactly: complete shock and confusion.

The Salamander turned to look at him with something like amusement, and the boy flushed, with embarrassment or fear Kairi couldn't tell. "Um?" Wakka said again, somewhat desperately. "I'm sorry? It's just – really, really unexpected?"

"He's probably just lying," Tidus declared. "He's a magical _creature_, after all. Not _Human_. I thought he was supposed to help us, not lie to us?"

The emerald glitter in the Salamander's eyes vanished, and each and every one of them winced and took a step back as those eyes turned deep, bloody red and stared at Tidus until Kairi thought he was going to pass out.

"You recognise that I could turn you into charcoal, right?" The man said lightly, his casual tone belying the fire in his eyes.

Pale as paper, Tidus nodded vigorously. He really did look ready to faint.

The Salamander smiled. It was not a nice smile. "Good." When he looked back at Kairi, his eyes were green again – deep and sparkling, like gemstones. "Magik is the one truth," he commented, watching her closely. "No one who lives by it will ever lie. I meant what I said. Your bloodline is known to my family rather intimately, you see. Making us – " he gestured at the space between them, "cousins."

"B-but…How is that possible?" Kairi felt like flailing. "I'm – so, what, I'm part Salamander? I'm not Human?" Her mind scrambled to make sense of all this, but it really wasn't one of those things. It was like a ball of wool that an army of energetic kittens had decided to play with – all tangled up and impenetrable.

The Salamander grinned wickedly. "Well, once upon a time one of your ancestors and one of mine liked each other very much –"

"Oh, stop it," she snapped, bristling. "I'm not an idiot. That wasn't what I meant, and you know it!"

The others gaped at her, and even she herself couldn't believe she'd just stood up to a _Salamander_ like that. But it was disconcertingly easy to see this complete stranger – who wasn't even Human! – as some kind of older cousin. Sort of. Maybe.

He was as annoying as one, anyway. In the thirty seconds that they'd known each other.

_Does that mean I believe him? _

The Salamander laughed. "See? Check one fiery temper." His gaze flickered to her hair, and she brushed a stray lock behind her ear self-consciously. "And the hair colour. Have you ever seen a Human with that colour?"

"No," she admitted.

He smiled. "That's because Human genes are recessive. Magical blood always comes up top; it's never diluted, no matter how far back the interspecies slap-and-tickle was."

"S-so Kairi's not just partly Salamander, she's _half_ Salamander?" Selphie asked in a frightened whisper.

He dipped his head in agreement. "Yep."

Kairi put her hands up. "Okay, everybody just hold on a sec, please! This is all happening _way_ too fast for me!" She pointed a finger at the Salamander. "What's your name?"

He bowed gallantly, his hand folding into an intricate gesture. "Axel, little cousin. Crown-Prince of Volcanna and the Salamander race."

She figured that Volcanna not only had lots of volcanoes but was probably the Salamander kingdom. "Okay, Axel. Can you. Stop playing with us, and just tell us everything? Please?"

Axel shrugged. "I'm happy to tell _you_, princess –" _Oh god,_ Kairi thought, horrified, _please don't say I'm a princess too?_ "- but I can't let these Humans hear Salamander secrets." His gesture took in Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus. "So unless you send them away…"

Kairi hesitated – how much was she ready to trust her gran's stories? _I could turn you into charcoal._ What if Axel was dangerous – no, of course he was dangerous, but would he hurt her?

_If he wanted to hurt me, he wouldn't need to send the others out to do it_, she decided, and nodded. "Guys, he's right – could you go downstairs and wait for me? Or, actually, it's getting really late. Why don't you all go home, and I'll call you in the morning?"

"No way!" Selphie cried, forgetting to be quailed by Axel's presence. "What if something happens? It's not safe, Kairi!"

"You know, I'm not an 'it'," Axel murmured to no one, and again Kairi got the impression that he was enjoying this. She ignored him.

"Fine, I'll text you before I go to bed. Okay? Then you won't stay up all night worrying." She smiled, and made shooing motions with her hands. "Go on. I'll be fine!" She insisted, seeing Wakka and Selphie exchange disbelieving glances. "Everything else my gran said was true, wasn't it? I'll be perfectly safe."

"Your gran didn't say anything about being related to Salamanders!" Wakka protested.

She had to concede that. "Okay, true, but she _did_ say that they would always help me." She felt a little embaressed to be saying this in front of Axel – saying that he would help her, without asking him if he would, and saying it all right in front of him. "I don't think anyone defines 'helping' as 'burning to a crisp' or whatever."

"Unless you want help with a barbeque," Axel interjected helpfully.

"Who wants crispy barbeque?" Kairi asked him, confused.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Obviously I shall have to educate you in Salamander cuisine."

She frowned at that, not really sure what to say.

He waved a hand at her. "Carry on."

Her lips twitching despite herself – for a prince, he didn't seem at all courtly or stuffy – she eventually convinced her friends to go home. With great reluctance – except Tidus, who looked relieved to be getting away from Axel – the three of them descended the ladder that led back into the main house.

The _click_ of the trapdoor closing behind them sounded very final.

Axel smiled at her. "I'm so glad they're gone," he declared, promptly dropping down onto the floor. His legs stretched out in front of him as he leaned back on his hands; they were so long that his heels almost came up to the edge of the circle. Lean; that was the word that came to mind when she settled down in front of him on the floor, on her side of the circle's edge. Like pure streamlined muscle, without an inch of fat anywhere – not even the good, healthy kind. "Humans make me edgy."

"According to you, I'm half Human," Kairi reminded him.

Axel shrugged. "That's different. You're family."

Strange as it was, that warmed her. "You said you'd explain that?" She asked instead.

"Of course, sweetheart." He crossed one long leg over the other. "It's not that complicated, really. About eight hundred years ago, my great-great-a-million-greats grandfather had an affair with a Human woman. Apparently she was very intelligent and beautiful." He dipped his head to her – the one courtly gesture she'd seen from him, apart from that bow. Did he mean that she was pretty, too? "He saw her one day in the woods… You know how it goes. Anyway, he taught her magik, so that she could protect herself from the ones in Otherworld who wouldn't like their relationship –"

"So, she was a witch?" Kairi asked, curious. When Axel had claimed they were related, she wondered if her family's ability to cast spells came from being part Salamander.

"Well, he taught her how to be one," Axel explained. "A witch is just a Human who learns about magik, and how to use it." He shrugged. "Somewhere in Human history, they just…forgot about it. Or maybe just decided not to use it anymore. No one knows why. But they still can. Humans, I mean. Any sentient being can use magik."

"I see."

He grinned. "Do you?" He challenged, and carried on before she could answer. "There was a baby, but my grandfather was already married – he was King at the time, so this Salamander woman was his Queen – and the woman was afraid of what would happen to her child if anyone in Volcanna found out about them. So she made my grandfather promise that if her child, or any of her daughter's descendants, ever needed help, my grandfather and his pure-blood descendants would answer. And then she ran away."

Kairi waited a moment before saying anything. "I'm not sure I like that he was already married when he had an affair with my great-great whatever."

"Neither does the Salamander court," Axel admitted. "But a promise is a promise. And it's not like it's _your_ fault our mutual ancestor liked things kinky."

She blinked at him, not understanding. "Kinky?"

Suddenly, he didn't seem like an older brother; he smirked, a cheeky bad-boy grin that looked disturbingly edible. "Doing it with Humans."

"Oh? _Oh_." She blushed, and he tipped his head back and laughed.

"You're so much fun!" He grinned, and she thought she saw a glimpse of sharp teeth. "I had no idea you'd be so amusing."

Trying to distract herself from thoughts of ancient ancestors getting it on, Kairi remembered something. "You said that your family was wondering about me?"

"Wondering when you were going to call," he elaborated. "Pretty much everyone in your family summons us at least once. It's kind of sad, really, because then they never do again."

Kairi frowned. "I thought we were only allowed summon you once?" She said slowly. "Like getting just one wish, in the fairytales. Use with caution and all that."

"Noooooooooo." Axel raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you hear that? You're family. Sure, we'll help you out when you need it – but, you know, we're not really supposed to leave Otherworld unless we're summoned. Volcanna is pretty open-minded about Humans; I, for one, would appreciate being a friend rather than a genie. But you do have to call. Anyway," he continued on without letting her respond, "what _did_ you call me for?"

The excitement of the evening – her grandmother's book, the spell, the casual revelations Axel kept giving her – vanished instantly at the reminder, like cold water on a fire, and her face fell.

"It's my friend Sora," she whispered. "I think. I think he was taken by Nagini. And I was hoping you might be able to get him back."

Axel was silent for so long that the fragile kernel of hope was half-crushed by the time he finally spoke.

"I can try," he said slowly – and her heart leapt, so high and so fast that she almost didn't notice when he held up his hand to halt her thanks. " 'Try' being the operative word," he warned. "And I can't go before morning. Royals have to announce their presence when they visit other kingdoms; if I want to visit the Nagini island I'll have to wait until tomorrow." He gave a wry grin. "They wouldn't be happy to cooperate with me if I woke them all up in the middle of the night."

"No," she agreed, trying not to let a big, stupid grin of relief paste itself on her face. "I guess they wouldn't."

She smiled at him, and he smiled back – easily, charmingly.

"Thank you," she said seriously. "I – well, I don't know you, and you don't know me, but this means a lot to me. Sora is my best friend."

"Thank me if I can get him back," Axel said gently. "I haven't yet."

"I know." She struggled to put it into words. "But, you know, I only met you maybe half an hour ago. And you're going to try, even though it might be dangerous. It matters a lot – I don't want you to think I don't appreciate it."

The tender expression melted away from the Salamander's face, replaced with that bad-boy, dark-chocolate smirk again. "Well, it's not as if I'm completely defenceless." At her blank expression, his smirk grew wider. "Now I know why father said this was the fun part," he said to himself, laughing quietly as he got to his feet with surprising grace. "Watch," he ordered.

She watched.

The air around him began to shimmer, like a heat-haze on the beach in the middle of summer, and it was hard to look away from his eyes – deep, shining, like jade stars – even as his shoulders flexed, and he stretched out his arms –

And a huge, red wing unfolded slowly from his right side, opening like a Japanese fan, stretching out and out as another shuddered and opened from the left side of his back, like nothing so much as a cat stretching, if a cat had scaled wings. Wings that were almost as tall as Axel was and three or four times longer than that. Vicious, savage claws sprouted from the tips of each wing and at the top of each joint in the pinions, like a hooked finger; they looked like curved daggers, as big as Kairi's hand.

"Oh, wow," Kairi whispered, standing up so that she could get a closer look.

It was obvious that Axel hadn't been expecting that reaction: shock, stronger than when he'd heard her name (which he must have been expecting, really) flashed over his face. It didn't even occur to Kairi to be afraid, and she crossed over the line of the circle without a second thought. (Was that dangerous? She didn't know).

They were so, so beautiful.

Axel was looking down at her, watching her, still with that look of surprise as she reached out to gently touch the membrane of his wing.

It was so soft. Like…Like the pages of the really, really old books in the library. Like the pages of her gran's spellbook. Only even softer – more like crushed velvet.

She barely heard Axel's soft hiss as she stroked the membrane with her fingertips; light and careful, because the old paper it reminded her of was very fragile, and maybe the wing was fragile too. There were faint ridges and bumps in the stretched skin; after a second she realised that they must be veins, carrying blood through the wing. But it didn't take her long to realise that thinking the wing was fragile was completely ridiculous. The light from the candles didn't pass through the membrane, like it would have through paper, because the wing was several inches thick. Just like Axel's more Human body, it was pure muscle, jointed at regular intervals with slim bones that felt like smooth steel beneath the skin. There were three joints, and each one had another claw at the top and bottom of each joint-bone – but where the ones on top were hooked, the lower claws were straight and razor sharp, like ivory paper knives or swords. The membrane itself was a creamy gold colour, but at the top it was ridged with hard scales that glittered like garnets, which she was pretty sure made up the back of the wing. Like the pictures of dragons in her old book of fairytales.

"Do you think I could grow wings?" She asked longingly, trailing both her hands over the soft-soft skin. She was half Salamander. Maybe it was possible? "They're so beautiful."

Axel made a strangled sound.

"Axel?" She let her hands fall and looked up at him. "Are you okay?" His eyes were bright, almost feverish looking, and his pale skin looked flushed.

"I'm fine," he said thickly, folding his wings away deftly before she could touch them again; she tried to keep the jolt of sadness from her face. It was like being allowed to look at a fabulous painting, and then having someone place a curtain over it. "I think I should go."

"Go?" It made sense, though. Who knew what he'd been doing when she summoned him? And if she didn't text the others soon, they would probably storm the house. "Oh. Yeah, it's late, isn't it? Okay." She paused, the expression on Axel's face suddenly making her feel flustered, shy, awkward. "Um. When should I summon you again?"

"Hm? Oh." Axel shook his head as if to clear it; his long hair rustled like autumn leaves. "Just don't rub out this circle, and I'll be able to walk in and out of it. Sometime tomorrow afternoon should be fine, I think."

Kairi smiled, already looking forward to it. And maybe… Just maybe, by tomorrow they would have Sora back. _Oh, please, _she prayed silently, _please let us get Sora back safe and okay._ "Sounds good. Thank you again, Axel." On impulse, she reached up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "I really do appreciate it. Everything."

Those green eyes glittered at her for a moment, one that seemed to stretch and stretch. Her pulse fluttered; why had she kissed him? It had just seemed like the right thing to do, for some reason; some instinct she didn't know she had. And maybe it wasn't wrong, because he returned the gesture, the mane of red hair rustling and whispering like flames as he pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth.

Soft. Light. And then gone.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he promised, his voice a little rough – and then he was gone, like a skipped frame in a film. Just gone.

Kairi stared at the spot where he'd been for a moment, a little confused, but at that moment the 'real' world hit her hard, and she was abruptly very, very tired. Careful not to smudge the circle as she stepped out of it, Kairi blew out all but one of the candles, using the last one to light her way over to the trapdoor, the spellbook under one arm.

She wasn't sure she'd be able to sleep, after all the excitement, but if tomorrow was going to be anything like today, than she'd better try.


	7. Clash

Another chapter that basically wrote itself. I'm glad so many people are still with me on this fic; I don't have a lot of time to answer reviews the way I used to, but I read every single one, and I have a special folder at my email that they all go into, to read when I'm lacking inspiration. So thank you everyone :)

A note: I'm sorry for all those people who don't like Axel/Kairi. Axel/Roxas is my OTP, but like I said, that just didn't want to play out this time. Yes, they are very, very distant cousins. I'd like to point out that their shared ancestor was 800 years ago, and that in some ancient cultures, it was actually considered lucky to marry a cousin. That said, I'm sorry some people don't like it. Kairi's not my favourite character in the Kingdom Hearts series, but I don't like people bastardising her, so if that's how you feel please don't comment.

Besides, my Kairi is obviously awesome ;P

* * *

Chapter Six– Clash

"Riku? Riku, you need to wake up."

Riku frowned and flicked the end of his tail at the voice, not willing to leave the warmth of sleep.

"Riku, Prince Axel's here!"

His eyes snapped open and he shot upright, his eyes finding Yuffie's instantly. "What?" He demanded, deftly slipping off the bed, careful not to disturb the Human boy beside him. "Why in the name of the Seven is _he_ here?"

The Sylph shrugged helplessly. "I don't know! No one's telling me anything!" Briefly, she pouted – she hated to be left out of things – but her expression turned meek when he growled at her through his fangs. "He's here with a huge escort, and he's asking questions about a Human boy that disappeared yesterday." Her eyes flicked to his Bearer pointedly.

Riku felt himself go cold.

_How could he possibly know?_ Eventually all the Great Courts would have to be informed, because Riku's child would be a royal heir, and if Cloud never had any children then his brother's child would inherit the throne. But it had only been _one day_. No Naga would spy for any other court, and at the moment there were no Salamanders serving under Cloud – or even in the kingdom, he thought.

And then the shock – and a little fear – dissolved into a cold, reptilian fury.

Yuffie gasped. "Riku…Your eyes…"

He ignored her expression; she seemed to be caught between confusion and fear. "Where is he?" He demanded. His voice was a low, soft hiss; partly to keep from disturbing his Bearer's sleep, partly because his fangs had dropped and it made it hard to speak normally.

"I… I'm supposed to show you…"

"Then show me," he snapped, and swallowing visibly, she did.

)0(

"He'll be here soon," Cloud assured the foreign Prince, trying to present authority and confidence in the face of this royal visitation – and a completely unexpected one. "I apologise that we don't have more to offer you – our household hasn't yet risen."

The Salamander dipped his head. "No apologies necessary," he said calmly. "The hour is early, but the matter warranted the urgency, I'm afraid."

Cloud raised his eyebrows, a flicker of anger belying his apparent disbelief. "And may I ask what business a missing Human is to the Salamander court?" Whatever it was, it must be very important: the Salamander race were, as a rule, plain-speaking and rough around the edges, mimicking the style of their magery – elemental force without the gilded polish of, say, the Fey. Culturally, they might hoard precious stones and metals, but they were a casual, colloquial race whose only adornment was the rare meaningful tattoo.

But whoever had dressed their Prince had obviously felt that the full force of Axel's status was going to be necessary. His eyes were outlined in stylised flames of gold, amber, and sapphire kohl, and his wings – all thirty-five feet of them – had been covered in an intricate pattern of gold lines and swirls, and his wing-claws had been gilded. Cloud knew enough to understand that the markings had some kind of meaning, but he didn't know enough about Salamander culture to know what that meaning was.

The heavy emphasis on the Salamander's bloodline had Cloud worried. This was very obviously not a social call politely enquiring about a second-heir's Bearer.

Axel smiled. It was a dark kind of smile, the one that reminded other people that none of the magical races were without an inherent wildness – and especially not the Salamander people, with their draconic heritage.

"The missing boy is tied to my father's court," he said finally. "A rumour told us he might be within your kingdom, your Majesty. I was sent to investigate. That's all."

_That's all_. That's all? How in the seven hells was a Human boy linked to the Salamanders? And how would their King react when, as they must, they discovered that said boy was pregnant by a Naga Prince?

He was just about to question Axel more closely – Axel might be Crown-Prince of a larger kingdom, but Cloud was a King, and he had that right – when he heard Leon's voice swear softly behind him.

"Shit."

Cloud turned – and paled.

Yuffie had found his younger brother – but Riku hadn't arrived calm and collected, as Cloud had hoped.

"He just went through his first season," Leon, his Master of the Guard, murmured into his ear. When had Leon moved so close? "He won't be able to control his instincts. He's had no practise."

"What did Yuffie tell him to make him see Axel as a threat?" Cloud whispered back.

Leon shrugged, and in a way he was right – it didn't matter why, only that Riku's eyes had lost their Human appearance and gone yellow, slashed in two by narrow snake-eye slits and a sure sign of very serious rage. More subtly, slim ribbons of pearly scales had snaked up Riku's waist and stomach from where his tail began at his hips, forming a flexible but steel-strong armour over his most vulnerable organs. Experienced warriors could control the growth of this 'armour', but Riku ran a real risk of slipping into his serpent-form – which could easily prove deadly for a great number of them.

Part of Cloud was playing King and both cursing and fearing what might happen if he didn't manage to keep this situation under control. But another, only slightly smaller part _really_ didn't need this. His own season was due any day now, and it was difficult to concentrate on courtly etiquette and the undercurrents in the room, the possible consequences of every action, when his armour-scales were stiff and his skin almost unbearably sensitive.

And Leon was far, far too close.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Cloud forced himself to focus.

"Riku," he said calmly, hoping his own ease would reassure Riku's newly-awakened instincts, "Prince Axel has come to ask if any of our people have taken a Human boy from one of the other islands."

His brother's gaze snapped to him, but he saw no recognition in Riku's gaze. Except for the fact that his brother didn't attack him, there was no other sign that Riku realised that Cloud was his brother.

"He's _mine_," Riku hissed suddenly, moving from Cloud to Axel. That hiss could only mean one thing; his brother's fangs had dropped down from the roof of his mouth. Out of his shapeshifted snake form, Riku's fangs were his most deadly weapon, and Cloud felt Leon tense beside him. "_Mine_. You can't have him." His tail whipped back and forth.

Axel met Riku's gaze calmly. How much of Nagini culture did he know? Cloud cursed his father for the hundredth time; if Sephiroth had just been _sane_, chances were high Axel would have been fostered at the Nagini court and would have known how to handle Riku safely.

"You took a Human boy yesterday?" The Salamander asked, his face a perfect mask.

Riku nodded once. "_Mine_." He repeated.

"No," Axel corrected him. "He has a home. A family. And the Salamander court wants him returned there."

Riku snarled, the sound vicious and sibilant through his fangs. "_Here_," he hissed. "His home is _here_. _My_ Bearer. _My_ child."

Axel stilled. "Please tell me the boy is young enough to be called a child," he addressed the air.

Cloud was focussing all his attention on Riku, trying to anticipate whether Riku would go for Axel's throat, so it was Leon who answered. "No, your Highness," he said calmly, almost indifferently. "The Human is carrying Prince Riku's son or daughter." He dipped his head in Riku's direction. "I'm afraid you have come at a very inopportune time. The royal family is still in the grip of the _Mensis_."

Cloud turned and stared at Leon, shocked. That was far more information than Axel needed to know about his, Cloud's, state.

"Meaning…?" Axel questioned.

Leon almost smiled. "That if you continue to insist Riku give up his Bearer, he is liable to attack you."

Riku hissed softly in agreement. His yellow eyes had yet to leave Axel's face, the way a cobra might watch prey.

"I am not –" The Salamander began.

"His other form is a basilisk," Cloud said quietly.

Unfeigned shock flit over Axel's face, and the Salamander Prince flared his wings, both in an instinctive attempt to appear more threatening and in preparation to use the sword-like claws if he needed to. "But – I thought there hadn't been a basilisk in almost two thousand years?"

"That is correct," Leon said dryly. "Nevertheless. Riku is unquestionably the most dangerous person in this room, and you are scraping all of his most savage instincts with your line of questioning and insistence. Frankly, I'm surprised he hasn't attacked you yet."

"Not helping, Leon," Cloud muttered. The bastard's lips twitched, but rather than answer he murmured "Don't you find it interesting that Axel's not surprised that a Human can be a Bearer?"

Cloud glanced at him, surprised. He hadn't thought of that.

Right now, though, it wasn't all that important.

Axel's escort were all shifting warily, flexing wings and easing the blades strapped to their hips. Riku ignored their scrutiny; he had eyes only for their Prince. The entire hall was waiting for Axel's decision – to push the issue, or withdraw.

"Would your soldiers offer combat if mine attempted to retrieve this boy?" Axel asked Cloud finally, green eyes shielded, offering nothing of the Salamander's thoughts.

Riku snarled and tensed to spring; Cloud threw up his hand, cutting off both his brother's attack and the protest that came from the Nagini scattered throughout the room. "You forget to whom you speak," he said coldly, real anger flaring up in him now. "And of what. You are talking about abducting a member of the Nagini royal family." He saw Axel pale; obviously that spin on the situation had not occurred to him. "Yes, they would. And you could expect a declaration of war if you even survived the attempt."

His brother hissed approval, an animal smirk settling on his face; Cloud didn't look away from Axel. For the first time since he'd been crowned, Cloud felt like a King, stepping between his people – his family – and a threat.

It felt good.

After a moment, Axel's expression turned resigned. Smart boy. "Very well." The Salamander bowed at the waist, his wings contorting into a gesture Cloud recognised as submissive and respectful. "My apologies, your Majesty. My emotional stake in the matter temporarily overwhelmed my courtesy."

_And your good sense_, Cloud thought. Axel's escort was large for a royal visitation – twenty Salamander soldiers – but it wasn't nearly large enough to take on the court's guard. It would be beyond foolish to underestimate the Nagini just because they had chosen exile to earth rather than their magical homeland. It had not made them weak.

Cloud dipped his head, but said nothing. He kept his expression stony, clearly not forgiving the almost deadly insult.

The Salamander's green eyes flashed. The typical temper of his race. "If we hear that the boy is being mistreated, however," he warned, "my father will come asking for an explanation."

It was Cloud's turn to hiss. "And as a King and my equal, that is his right," he snapped. "Do not forget your place, _Prince_. You are my guest here, and you have done nothing but try my patience and hospitality. Get out."

Axel bowed again wordlessly, but he didn't apologise this time. Telling, Cloud thought bitterly. Of all the millions of Humans in the world, how had Riku claimed the _one_ so important to the Salamander court they would threaten the Nagini over him?

Leon moved forward, his dappled blue-and-grey scales shimmering like water. "I and my men will escort you to the Gate." It wasn't a question.

Cloud quelled a pang of vicious, animal longing as Leon moved away from him. Shakily, he closed his eyes, forcing himself to rein in the wild lust. While he was alive, Sephiroth, Cloud and Riku's father, had not concerned himself with his sons. He had not arranged a betrothal for Cloud; he had had no interest at all in his firstborn's first season, or in any of them after that. And Cloud had been wildly terrified of being so vulnerable when surrounded by his father's power-hungry councillors and generals, any one of whom would have gladly taken advantage of their Crown-Prince's unbearable need to further their own careers. At fourteen, Cloud's armour-scales had grown in early, and the attention he evoked grew to truly dangerous levels. He knew little about Nagini puberty, but he did know that he wouldn't be safe in the palace when his season left him unable to defend himself. Legally, it wouldn't be rape; no Naga caught in that lust ever said no. They couldn't. But if Cloud woke from it to find himself pregnant, he would be shackled to whoever had claimed him forever, never able to be anything but a puppet on the throne while bonded to the kind of older Naga who watched him so blatantly.

He'd spent the year searching for a safe place to hide when it happened, and only a month after the found the small cave on one of the outer islands – far away from any Human settlement, but cold and bare – he succumbed to his body's madness, only just managing to slip away to his sanctuary in time.

To this day, Cloud had no idea how he had come out of it with his mind intact. There were no words to accurately describe the agonising need of a Naga's season – and so young, with no preparation, education, or frame of reference, terrified of what might happen if he stayed at home and what could happen if he didn't, it had been the single worst experience of his life.

His two-week absence did not go unnoticed. No one had expected him to mature so soon, and when he returned to the palace everyone knew why he'd been gone.

The hunger in their eyes had grown.

Every year since then, Cloud had hidden himself – though after that first horrific experience, he made sure to pack himself food and blankets, a few creature comforts. Not once had he allowed anyone to touch him, in or out of season. It would be madness. Even more so now that he was King; who wouldn't have liked to be in his bed? To win themselves a throne?

It would have been simpler to just choose one of the noble born women at court, but he couldn't make himself. Outside of the _Mensis_ he doubted he could make love to a woman; he had no physical attraction to them at all. And deep down, however illogical and irresponsible it was, he didn't want anything but a love-match. Eventually, it would have been a problem; the King needed an heir.

But now, with Riku, there was a chance Cloud would never need to embrace anyone at all. The throne had an heir. The line would be safe. Leaving Cloud free to protect his kingdom – and his heart – with chastity.

No matter how much his body wanted Leon, his mind knew that taking a common-born lover – one he barely knew, at that – was not an option.

That didn't stop him from watching Leon and the other Nagini guards escort the Salamanders out of the room. That strong, thick tail, dappled blue and steel like shadowed water…

He swallowed hard and looked away. _No_.

By looking away he brought his gaze to rest on his brother, which brought him back to the situation at hand. And in fact, he was relieved to see that by the time Axel left the room, Riku's eyes had faded from bright, angry gold almost to their normal aqua-green, his pupils melting into their usual circles again. It looked as though he were calming down.

"Riku?" He asked, just to check.

Blinking, Riku turned to him, the silvery gleam of his battle-scales reverting into normal skin. "Cloud?" He asked, hesitantly. He looked very small, and very, very young – the same expression of pleading uncertainty that had faced Cloud when he found Riku and a bloodied Human in the clearing.

Wordlessly, Cloud opened his arms, and with a flick of his tail Riku was there, hiding against his older brother's sapphire-blue _sari_. The boy was trembling.

"Why don't we go get breakfast?" Cloud murmured, stroking his hand over Riku's soft silver hair. "It'll make you feel better if you get something in your stomach."

Without looking up, Riku nodded.

With a sigh, Cloud bent to kiss the top of his brother's head. He needed to leave – and soon. But he thought he could last through breakfast.

)0(

Yuffie had never seen Riku look that mad before, not about anything. She'd never seen _any_ Naga turn all yellow-eyed and hissy. So she'd been very quiet as she led Riku to the main hall, where the Salamanders were, trying not to antagonise him any further.

But he was her friend – her _best_ friend – so when she understood that Axel wanted to steal Riku's Bearer, she slipped out of the room and ran back to where the Human was sleeping.

Only he wasn't asleep anymore.

)0(

"Oh, hi!"

Sora, sitting up in the unfamiliar bed and staring at the intricate design embroidered on the strange blanket, looked up in confusion as he registered the perky voice speaking at him.

"Hi?" He answered hesitantly. His thought-processes felt slow and unwieldy, making it hard to process things, but he had no idea where he was and that wasn't helped by the appearance of an unfamiliar girl. "Do you know where I am?"

The black-haired girl smiled and plunked herself down on the bed. "Well, sure I do sweetie," she chirped. "But don't you worry. You're perfectly safe. There's lots and lots of people here who just want to keep you safe and happy. So smile!"

Not sure what to make of this, he smiled a little. He felt a little awkward with her in the room anyway – the blanket was touching a lot of bare skin, and he had no shirt. But the girl's eyes didn't stray from his face, which helped.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw the glitter at her wrists, and he broke their stare to look. She was wearing thick black bands, either painted metal or dyed leather, and they were completely inset with big spherical jewels, at least eight or nine on each wrist. They were strangely beautiful, like nothing he'd ever seen before – in colours he hadn't known existed as gemstones…

And then he realised that it wasn't the light from the window making them glow.

"What…your bracelets…"

Something trembled in his head; a buried memory that felt as if it should stay buried. But he couldn't take his eyes off the stones. There was…something…something that they _meant_…

The girl looked startled, and glanced down at her hands. "Oh, these?" She held them up so he could see them better. "They're sky-stones. It's how Sylph magik works," she added helpfully. "Instead of just using up our own internal power and then needing to recharge, we store it in sky-stones so we can have loads of magik in an emergency, way more than our body could hold at once…"

She chattered on, but Sora was frozen.

Magik. Magical races. The yelling and the blue stones, the glowing threads – it hadn't been a dream. Sylph. What was a Sylph?

Something like a Naga.

_Silver._

Oh God.

The girl's chatter trailed away, but he couldn't hear her anyway. He was frozen. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't remember, except that he could, and didn't want to – _a nightmare – no, it wasn't, it was REAL – _but nothing…(he swallowed)…nothing hurt….How long had he been asleep? A hundred years, like in the story? Was that why there was no pain – because he had had long enough to heal?

_Or maybe it really WASN'T real, _he thought with weak hope. _Maybe I just…had a sick, sick nightmare…_

"Are you alright?" The girl asked tentatively, concern transforming her pixie-like face.

"N-no," he admitted. A salty droplet fell from his cheek onto the coverlet, leaving a dark spot on the silk. He was crying? When had he started crying? But he wasn't sure how to stop. "I. I don't know." He swallowed again, blinking hard. _I want mom. _"What happened to me?"

Her face softened. "Oh, sweetie…" She scooted closer and hugged him side-ways, so that he could rest her head on her collarbone. One of her delicate hands gently petted the spikes of his hair; the simple act of comfort made his vision blur with more tears. It had always been this way – a little bit of kindness made him cry harder than…than a bad thing.

It felt strange to be hugged by a complete stranger, but he felt too young and alone to pull away. It was awkward, though; he was naked under the covers, and she was a girl. But he closed his eyes and ignored it, listening to her breathe and feeling the soft strokes in his hair. It was soothing.

She took so long to speak that he'd decided she wasn't going to answer, but finally she said, "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Sora," he mumbled without opening his eyes.

He felt her nod. "I'm Yuffie," she offered.

Under the circumstances, he didn't know what to say to that. So he just waited.

There was another long pause. Then, "Well, Sora," Yuffie began quietly, a little sadly, "there was a…an accident. And you got hurt." He stiffened, the words turning his blood ice-cold as his mind raced to process them, and she paused, kept stroking his hair until he relaxed a little. _An accident…? _He…He didn't remember anything like an accident…Did she mean like a car crash? "You were brought here so you could be healed. And. Taken care of."

His heart was pounding. "That doesn't sound so bad," he said tentatively.

"No!" Yuffie said fiercely, holding him tighter. "It is definitely not a bad thing, Sora. It's a very, very good thing, I promise." She hesitated. "Some of the people here will be a little confused by you," she admitted. "But everyone wants to take care of you. We all just want you to get better and be happy."

He wasn't sure what to say to that.

"But where am I?" He asked again. "Can I go home? My mom must be worried." He felt a hundred questions tumble out of his mind and onto his tongue, each one sparking and fizzing. "What kind of accident was it? Who – why do complete strangers care about me so much?" It didn't sound like a normal hospital or something – even if he'd ever heard of a hospital with silk blankets, which he hadn't.

Again, it took her a long while to answer.

"Sora, do you know about drugs?"

It was so random that it took him a moment to understand the question. "I've never used them, but yeah, we learned about them in school. Why?"

"You know how, when people are drugged, sometimes they do bad things they wouldn't normally do?"

The room was warm, but Sora was starting to feel cold again. "Yes…"

"Do you think it's a person's fault, if they do something while they're on drugs?"

"Well, yeah. They shouldn't have taken drugs."

She paused. "Okay, true. But what if someone's mind was all – confused, _as if_ they were on drugs, but they weren't? If that person did something, is it their fault?"

"No drugs?"

"No drugs."

Distracted from his sense of foreboding, Sora thought about it. "You mean like being mentally ill?"

Yuffie hesitated. "I'm not sure what that is," she said finally.

"It's when someone has something wrong with their brain," Sora explained. His mom was a doctor, and he'd picked up bits and pieces, but this was the simple explanation.

"Oh. Yeah, I guess like that."

"Then…No," Sora said slowly. "No, I don't think it's their fault. If they're mentally ill."

Above him, Yuffie nodded. "Well, your accident. My friend was…was mentally ill, and he hurt you. But he's okay now, and he's – he's really sorry – "

_Not a nightmare._

_Real._

_All of it._

"The Naga," Sora heard his voice say from very, very far away. He wasn't here. There. Wasn't speaking. Someone else was. Not him. "The silver one. He. Raped me." His voice broke, and the tears were falling, heavier and faster and the world felt as if it were about to fly apart into a hundred thousand pieces. And he'd been wrong; the physical pain might be gone, but suddenly he could feel the hands on him, and the mouth, and – and – "It wasn't a nightmare – "

"Sora – "

"No!" Sora shook his head violently and tore himself out of Yuffie's grasp, shaking, trying hard not to throw up; his face felt damp and wet. "No, you're – you're his friend, you said so, _God_, get away from me!"

She blurred – and it wasn't the tears; she literally _blurred_, and there was a _woosh_ of air and then she was on the other side of the room, looking stricken. "Sora – please listen, I'm sorry, no one – everyone's so sorry about what happened, you know, and – and I'm here to help, that's all, really –"

"If you want to help then please get me some clothes!" he snapped, feeling the raw, pounding shock dissolving into anger. Or maybe it wasn't; maybe it wasn't a transformation, but a shield. A very, very thin one. "And – and a shower. And lock the door." _How did she move so fast?_

However she did it, she did again; she vanished in a multi-hued blur, and when she reappeared she left a neatly folded pile on the end of the bed, taking care not to come close to him. For a moment, he felt guilty; she looked anguished, and simultaneously hopeful, as if the clothes were a peace offering that would heal the rift between them. But they weren't, and instead of thanking her he asked "Shower?" without looking at her.

Her face fell. "That door," she said quietly, pointing; he saw it from the corner of his vision. "If you want to lock this room, put your hand on that," she pointed again, to a small panel to the side of the doorway, "and just think 'lock'."

He took a moment to make sure he'd memorised it, and then nodded once. "Thanks," he said weakly.

She bit her lip, and he thought she might cry, but she didn't. She just blurred and ran away.

Sora closed his eyes, telling himself fiercely that it was stupid to feel guilty – and when he was sure she was gone, he slipped out of the bed and padded quickly to the door, closing it with a bit of a slam. His hand was shaking when he pressed it to the panel; it felt cool under his hand, like quartz. It seemed stupid to think _lock_ at it, but he was trying not to think about all the implications of there being a magik lock on the door, and since the mechanism clicked loudly – and the door refused to budge when he tested it – he told himself it didn't matter.

Didn't matter.

Instead, he scooped up the clothes and walked into the bathroom, feeling sick and vulnerable being naked, even if there was no one else around. He didn't glance around at anything – it didn't occur to him to do so, because the bathroom looked just like the one at home, except bigger and grander. Just like he would expect a bathroom to look. Later, maybe, he would realise that it was strange – how would a Naga use a toilet, or even a shower? – but for now he dumped the clothes Yuffie had given him on the floor and stepped into the frosted glass of the shower cubicle. The symbols on the dial were unfamiliar, but they were colour-coded, and Sora turned it towards the red symbols and what he guessed was the hot water.

It came pounding out of the shower-head, and he jumped, not prepared for the sensation of being wet and scalded. But he was shaking, and underneath the skin rapidly turning red, he felt cold, so he turned the dial further towards the red, and started scrubbing with the gels and potions he found in small cut-glass bottles.

Hot. Hotter. He could feel – handprints. All over him. Big, black handprints, sticky and dirty, and the water wouldn't go any hotter, wouldn't – wouldn't get any hotter, so he scrubbed harder with the soft brush hanging on a hook, scrubbed until it hurt, until small specks of skin began to flake off under the bristles and vanish down the drain.

But the handprints – wouldn't – come off –

And the shower water tasted salty –

Wouldn't go hotter –

The brush slipped from his fingers, clattering on the tiled floor of the cubicle, and he curled up, closing his eyes against the burning hot water as he leaned back against the glass door and cried.

* * *

More notes! Okay. Since I'm sure there will be questions about this: yes, all Nagini are capable of shapeshifting into a full snake form. For most this form is an asp or cobra, something like that. Riku is a basilisk. Think of that what you will.

Secondly, I apologise to anyone who thinks Sora's reaction is unrealistic. This is not the last of it - he is by no means over things. I have never experienced anything like rape myself and I don't mean any offense.


End file.
